santiago day-trips. look ok? plus 3 questions....
 

the 3 day-trips we plan are:1) take the road to mendoza up to the border then head back stopping at portrillo. 2) cajon del maipo. 3)farallones &/or valle nevado. comments welcome! 3 questions: south of santiago, are there any opportunities for day-trips to towns that are quaint, or to buy local crafts, or approach the mountains, or are on the pacific? not including santiago, valpariso, and vina, are there any other recommendations for day-trips? also, we want to stay east of downtown santiago (so we don't need to drive thru the city). would pirque &/or las condes be ok?

help!

I would do either the Portillo trip (not spelling) or the Valle Nevado one. Pirque is too far away to stay if visiting Santiago. It is fine if you are visiting the Cajon del Maipo but not convenient for anything else. For Santiago, stay in Providencia or Las Condes.

thank you, huentetu! we have visited santiago and valpariso on a previous visit (my wife teaches there occasionaly). this trip we will have a car so i want to stay away from the cities. in order to visit maipo, potillo, etc. we want to stay east of santiago to avoid city traffic. we don't do "adventure" sports, but do you think we can spend 2 days exploring maipo canyon doing short hikes and exploring the towns in and around the canyon by car? also, is it fairly easy to exit santiago by car from providencia?

Santiago is both circled and crossed by urban highways so it is fairly easy to get in and out of town without going through congested areas. Providencia and Las Condes are both very easy to get in and out of. For the Cajón del Maipo you do have to go through La Florida which is a very built up residential suburb, but it is fairly straightforward.