Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile
Slide Nr 1Santiago is a sprawling urban hub, previously considered a one-night layover en route to the end of the world, aka Patagonia. But in recent years, the city has taken a life of its own, becoming a trendier, more lively version of its former self. Local insider Kyle Hepp shows us around.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 2Early Morning: Wake Up Lastarria – Visually beautiful and centrally located near many of the main sights, historic Lastarria is one of the best neighbourhoods in which to stay. With a wide variety of boutique hotels, you’re sure to find a sweet spot to rest your head. Check out the brand new Singular with its fantastic rooftop terrace, or – for something lower in price but high in style – there’s Matildas, a recently remodelled mansion-cum-hotel.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 37:30am: Grab A Pick-Me-Up – The best way to start your day is surely with a great coffee; Bloom is where all the locals go for delicious cold brew, or a cappuccino on a cold day. They don’t serve food, so if you’re hungry, head across the street to Colmado for a delicious Spanish-inspired brunch (mimosas included!) or head to the Alice in Wonderland-inspired Wonderland Café for fresh-squeezed juices and homemade bread. [Photo: Bloom]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 48:00am: Take A (Mini) Hike – Right down the street from all of these breakfast options is Cerro Santa Lucía, a hill park offering the same great view of the city as Cerro San Cristobal, but with gorgeous cobblestone streets, a castle and forts. It’s climbable in just 20-30 minutes – as opposed to the full morning it takes to go up the teléferico at San Cristobal – and the perfect place to watch the city awaken.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 58:45am: Get Cultured – After gaining your bearings from atop Santa Lucía, plan a stop at La Moneda: the home of the Chilean president and a must-see on every tourist’s list. The imposing architecture and stalwart guards, who by law must be over a certain height, are sure to impress. Go inside to see where the famous Coup d’État happened on 11 September 1973, then check out the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda, a modern culture centre featuring art exhibits, funky souvenir shops, a cinema showing Chilean art-house films and more, located underground beneath the Plaza de la Ciudadanía.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 69:30am: Park It At La Quinta Normal – Many guide books will tell you to walk through the Mercado Central fish market, but only do so if you don’t mind hordes of tourists and the oh-so strong smell of the day’s catch. I say skip it and head instead to one of Santiago’s oldest parks, La Quinta Normal. If you’re there on a weekend, you’re sure to see dancers, jugglers, circus performers, comedians, puppet shows for kids and more. [Photo: Rodrigo Pizarro/Flickr]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 710:30am: Take A History Lesson – Directly across the street from the park is Museo de la Memoria, Chile’s human rights museum. It’s a must in order to educate yourself on Chilean history and events that occurred during the dictatorship between 1973 and 1990. The museum is exceptionally well done and worth a visit.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 811:15am: Snack In Style – If you exit from the park’s eastern entrance (let the Andes mountains in the distance be your guide – walk toward them) and go several blocks, you’ll stumble into La Peluquería Francesa. A quirky restaurant serving up French-inspired seafood, the charming space is chock full of antiques as well as information about the history of Santiago. Enjoy a small snack here, and as you leave, take their menu – with a map of historical Barrio Yungay neighbourhood – with you. This area is colourful and features beautiful colonial architecture.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 91pm: Enjoy Victuals And Vino – Save lunch for coming back to Lastarria, and hit BocaNáriz, one of the few legit wine bars in Santiago. Here you can taste some of the best wines that Chile has to offer. Right next door is Chipe Libre: owned by the same people and home to the best pisco sours in town! The Peruvian food is tasty and, for brave souls, they also offer flights of pisco. [Photo: BocaNáriz]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 102:30pm: Shop, Shop, Shop – In the afternoon, take a walk around Patronato, Santiago’s most multicultural part of town, heavily influenced by immigrants from Korea, Turkey and China. The busy neighbourhood is also home to some of the city’s best – and cheapest – shopping.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 115pm: Have A Wander In Bellavista – From there, you’re just a stone’s throw away from Barrio Bellavista, another must-see corner of town. Though it has a party reputation, bohemian Bellavista is also brimming with street art and cultured cafés. This is where you’ll find one of Nobel prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda’s most famous homes, La Chascona. [Photo: Fernando Navarro Urrutia/Flickr]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 128pm: Tuck Into Dinner – Stay in Bellavista for dinnertime, and you’ll find a plethora of options! Grab low-key but yummy burgers and artisanal beers at Uncle Fletch; sit down to a full-on upscale dining experience at Peumayen, with plates based on indigenous ingredients and age-old recipes; or taste the local Chilean flavours at Venezia, a favourite of Neruda (their cazuela turkey soup can’t be beat!) – there’s a little bit of everything in this gastronomically flourishing neighbourhood.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 1310pm: Salsa The Night Away – If you haven’t tired yourself out running around the city all day, there’s plenty to see and do at night in Santiago. If you’re up for a challenge, take salsa classes at La Maestra Vida, and then listen to live music and watch the pros dominate the dance floor later on in the evening.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 14Late: Cut A(nother) Rug – More in the mood for modern latino music? You can feel the reggaeton beats at places like Candelaria. Here, you’ll party with Santiago’s upper echelons, and see how the city’s glitterati get their groove on. If you want a truly local experience, though, head to La Fonda Permanente and join party-goers as they dance to cumbia, one of the most popular music styles in Chile. Alternatively, hit up El Comercio Atletico or Bar Victoria to try out the Chilean national dance, the cueca. [Photo: Candelaria]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 15Before You Go: Read – Mi País Inventado (My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile) by Isabel Allende. A Chilean novelist who had lived outside of Chile – first in Venezuela, then the US – for 30 years before writing this book, Allende reflects on her own personal history as well as that of her home country, its culture and its idiosyncrasies.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 16Before You Go: Watch – Machuca, a film directed by Andrés Wood, following the coup and subsequent Chilean dictatorship as seen through the eyes of a young boy from the slums.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 17Before You Go: Listen – Chico Trujillo: Chile’s “it” group for modern cumbia, combining influences from reggae, rock and ska.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 18About Kyle Hepp: Kyle is a wedding photographer/gym owner who has been based in Santiago, Chile for 13 years. She travels the world for photography work, and has visited over 40 countries. She and her partner have a 9-month-old baby daughter, and they’re currently enjoying exploring their city and seeing it through her eyes. Visit kylehepp.com.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Santiago de Chile.
Slide Nr 2018/18
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