It's a brilliant city that I would definitely recommend visiting, whether you like hiking, going to museums, or seeing cultural sites. There are too many great places to visit to list them all, but I will write a bit about my ten personal favourites, in no particular order!
Parque Metropolitano
Parque Metropolitano is the biggest park in Santiago and is best known for Cerro San Cristóbal, a large hill with a statue of the Virgin Mary. It's possible to get to the top by funicular railway, cable car or by hiking. However, there are many other places to see in the park. I really like the Japanese garden and Piscina Antilén, a huge swimming pool with views over the city.
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Cerro Santa Lucía
One of the other most famous places in Santiago is Cerro Santa Lucía. This hill is the remnant of a volcano, and is now a park with lots of monuments and two forts at the top. It's a really beautiful place, and the views from the top are amazing.
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Plaza de Armas
La Plaza de Armas is the historic centre of Santiago, where you can find lots of old buildings, including the main cathedral of the city. A short distance away, you can find plenty of shops, as well as el Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, a really interesting museum about the native culture of Chile.
La Plaza de Armas feels like the heart of the city, and is always filled with activity. I remember going there not long after I arrived in Chile for the first time and seeing a group of people doing amazing salsa dancing on the bandstand in the middle of the square. Moments like those are one of the things I love about being in Latin America, because they just don't really happen in the UK or other European countries, in my experience!
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The Costanera
Standing at 300 metres tall, the Costanera, also known as Gran Torre Santiago, is the tallest tower in Latin America and the second tallest in the southern hemisphere. It's possible to take a lift up to the very top of the tower and look out over the whole city - an experience I would definitely recommend. At the bottom of the tower, there's a huge shopping mall with a big food court and a cinema, so it's a great place for a day out!
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Plaza de la Aviación
My boyfriend took me to la Plaza de la Aviación when I returned to Chile over the New Year last year. This square was designed as a monument to Chilean aviation and features a large display of dancing fountains. At night, the fountains are especially beautiful, as they are lit up in different colours.
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Templo Bahá'í
The Bahá'í temple in Santiago is one of only two temples of the Bahá'í faith in the whole of South America. It is situated at the top of a large hill and is a beautiful place with views over the city. We went there on a wintry evening in July 2018, and the atmosphere was really spiritual and tranquil.
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Parque O'Higgins
Parque O'Higgins is the second largest park in Santiago. It contains many attractions, including the Movistar Arena. Places I've visited within the park include the theme park Fantasilandia, the Olympic-length swimming pool, and the artificial lake pictured above. One really nice activity to do there is to take a little boat out on the lake, where you can see several different types of birds.
In fact there are lots of beautiful parks throughout the city. Two of the others I like are Parque Araucano, which is known as the Chilean version of New York's Central Park, and Parque Bicentenario, where you can see flamingos and swans.
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Pueblito Los Domínicos
Pueblito Los Domínicos is a charming little market which I visited for the first time on my latest trip to Chile. You can buy traditional Chilean artisan goods there, and it's also a really nice place just to stroll around. I liked the fact that there were lots of cats hanging about there!
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Cerro Manquehue
At 1638 metres above sea level, Cerro Manquehue is the highest peak in Santiago. When I was studying at the UDD, a group of us from the university climbed this mountain. It was certainly an experience I'll never forget, for many reasons! Although the hike was a challenge, I felt really proud and happy when we finally completed it. And the views from the top were absolutely incredible.
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Parque Quinta Normal
Parque Quinta Normal is another place that I visited for the first time on my most recent trip to Chile. As you can see in the picture, there's a lake you can ride around on a boat. But this park is best known for its museums. My boyfriend and I visited the train museum and the science and technology museum. The science and technology museum in particular was really entertaining, with lots of fun, interactive exhibits.
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To sum up, Santiago is a great city with many things to see and do. In addition, there are also other touristic highlights nearby. Cajón del Maipo is a short distance to the east, and Valparaíso is a short distance to the west. Both are amazing places to visit, and because Santiago is in the centre of the country, it also makes a good base for exploring the whole of Chile. I'm really looking forward to living there again and travelling to new places!
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