Santa Cruz

Introducing Santa Cruz

Picturesque Santa Cruz has targeted the tourist dollar with uncanny accuracy and skill, quite unlike the underdeveloped tourism infrastructure in much of Chile. Fine museums, a beautiful hotel and the country's original wine tour amply justify its popularity. The town has gained its place on the traveler's map largely through the huge investments of Carlos Cardoen, a former arms dealer. Cardoen owns the main hotel and supplied many of the museum's exhibits.

The main street, Rafael Casanova, leads from the bus terminal to the pretty central Plaza de Armas, where there's a helpful Sernatur information kiosk (10am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) in a distinctive miniature bell-tower building.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009