Cerro Santa Lucía

Rising out of the eastern side of the Centro is Cerro Santa Lucía. It was a rocky hill until 19th-century city mayor Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna had it transformed into a beautifully landscaped park where the grassy verges are still a favor­ite with canoodling local couples. A web of trails and steep stone stairs leads you up through terraces to the Torre Mirador at the top. Charles Darwin proclaimed the view from here ‘certainly most striking’ in 1833 – the smog-and-skyscraper-filled 21st-century version may have changed a little but it’s still well worth the climb. You need to sign in with your passport details when you enter.