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Visiting Santiago on a Chile Vacation

By Terry Philips

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 10Jan2012
Word count: 545
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Compared to other South American capital cities, Santiago de Chile can often seem like a little-known and rarely-visited backwater, a city that is far less talked about on the backpacker circuit than Rio, BA, Lima, Quito or Bogota. And yet Santiago's image and reputation is changing.

Capital city of the most developed South American nation, Santiago has the air of a major European or US city, along with comparable amenities, dining, nightlife and other attractions. Santiago is also the gateway to the Chilean outback which, despite its slender shape, is home to a vast array of wildernesses.

While Santiago is not as talked about as such cities as Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, visiting here is a great way to get to know more about the Chilean culture. One way of doing so, as with all cultures, is through its music. There are a few jazz clubs but the best known is the Club de Jazz which features live music Wednesday through Saturday. As with many places in Latin America, it is also a city for salsa with live music and dancing.

One of the most famous Chileans was the Nobel Prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda. One of his three homes, La Chascona, is located in Santiago with the other two being not too far away. In fact, there is a tour that will take you to all three. La Chascona, meaning woman with the unruly hair, was built for Neruda's mistress and is constructed like a small ship.

If you're interested in Chilean history, you may want to visit the Villa Grimaldi, a place that was used during the dictatorship of Pinochet for torture. While not the happiest segment of the country's history, it is without doubt an important one and, given that it happened recently during the 1970s, obviously still has a strong effect on the culture today.

The most touted museum is the Museo Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Museum). This museum plays host to some of the best contemporary art that the country's artists are producing. Nearby is the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (Contemporary Art Museum) which simply adds to the experience.

To get away from it all a bit, take a walk to Cerro Santa Lucia. This hill offers a nice vista of the city as well as many different statues, ponds and murals along the way. Another place to take a nice stroll is the Parque de Esculturas (Sculpture Park) located along the Mapocho River. During the summer, concerts are held there.

Of course, you'll want to check out some of the local food and fish is definitely one of the specialties here. You'll also want to try a drink made with pisco, a brandy made from grapes. Despite the ongoing contention between Peru and Chile over where pisco originated, there is no doubt that it is the national liquor of both countries. What many people know Chile for, however, more than pisco, is wine.

There are a number of wineries that can be toured using Santiago as a base. Travel south to the Maipo Valley where there are several you can tour including the country's largest producer of wine, Concho y Toro.

When it comes to the cultural experience of a country, and where to find the best parts a lot of people think outside of the capital city. In Chile, Santiago is a wonderful city and the place where most Chile tour operators begin their brilliant Chile travel packages.

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