6am I land in Santiago. I have planned nothing. I have no place to sleep. I don’t have any cash. I am not even sure if I can take uber here. I didn’t even have the correct outlet converter for my computer. My one way ticket from New York got me here, who knew what was coming next.
Chile is overwhelming even if you are prepared. It is such a long country with deserts, mountains, valleys, and beaches. In the 6 weeks I was in the country I spent most of the time in Santiago. After 11 months of nomadic travel, 13 countries, and countless couch surfing through the US and Europe, I was tired. I wanted a place to call home. Santiago became that for me.
I had just started working full time and was excited to prove I could work hard play hard. Seeing the shock on my clients face after they would ask what country I was in now made it even more entertaining.
Since I had some friends in the city, my experience was a local one. If you are heading there and want to live like the Chileans do, here is the best way. Be prepared, the way they speak Spanish is quite different. A fact they are very proud of.
Eat & Drink
Santiago is overrunning with restaurants. Bakeries, cafes, fusion restaurants, cocktail bars, night clubs, festivals, breweries, and dive bars. This major city hits the high 90s in the summer. Some complexes have pools but the tree lined streets help give shade. Walk around, lay in a park, eat empanadas, order something new.
Eat: FORÁ Bar & Bistro, El Huerto, La Panera Rosa Chile
Live Music
Summer in Santiago comes with loads of live music. Remember it is below the equator so in late November it was hot. We went to a couple shows while I was in town. DGTL is a rave thrown in 2 warehouses out of the city. From 11pm to 6am we danced and danced. Piknic is a weekly DJ festival thrown in a park. Every Saturday DJs spin under a beautiful shaded overhang. Coca-Cola sponsored hair braiding and like a good experiential marketer I partook.
Neighborhood hop
Like any major city, the neighborhoods of Santiago vary. I first had a room in Las Condes, a beautiful tree lined neighborhood near parks. My friend and all her friends live in that immediate area. The next room I rented was in a house in Little Italy or Barrio Italia. Bakeries, parks, and all of the incredible restaurants of Little Italy where right outside my door.
My room opened up to the garden where they had a hammock, hosted barbecues, and had a 11 year old dog name Gustan. The garage was a converted bakery. The other roommates where French, Colombian, and Chilean. Sometimes I spoke Spanish sometimes English. It was my home for 2 weeks and I felt a sense of peace most nomadic travelers rarely feel.
Google searching will tell you to stay in Lastarria, don’t. It isn’t a vibe and is more of a tourist trap. It is in the downtown area so you’ll explore it if you book a walking tour, which you should.
Explore: Dalmacia, Avenida Pocuro, Barrio Italia, Costenara Center, Los Dominicos Park, San Cristóbal Hill, Santa Lucía Hill
Take a Day Trips
Besides the city center, Santiago is positioned in the perfect place for day trips. I booked two tours on Airbnb Experiences that blew my mind. Both tours take you through the mountains, one to a dam, the other to hot springs. To be this close to the Andes is breathtaking. Driving through the narrow roads with the mountain as the only view is just incredible.
In the region of Cajon del Maipo there is a dam which is called Embalse El Yeso. It has the most beautiful blue green water and mountains which had some snow, reminding you the altitude. My tour took us there to enjoy, stopped at a local empanadaria, and finished at a local chocolate house. Empanadas in Chile are different, they are massive. It was the perfect midday lunch with some Chilean wine taking in the countryside.
The Termas Valle de Colina are the hot springs. The tour I booked left later and stopped first at a waterfall. The clean cold water fell down the mountains beautifully. From there we went to the hot springs and watched the sun recede behind the mountains. Each pool was varying degrees of heat. I made my way up to the hottest rubbing the mineral mud on my body. After we changed we watched the colors change the mountains as the sunset seemed to continue for hours. The last destination was star gazing and a barbecue at a resort. Our guides cooked some delicious meat and veggies while we sipped wine under the stars.
Tours: Hot Springs
My last recommendation is to take a weekend trip to Valparaiso, Casablanca, and Vina Del Mar. Not 3 hours away from Santiago these cities offer completely different experiences. More to come…
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