Parque por la Paz

During Chile’s last dictatorship some 4500 political prisoners were tortured and 266 were exe­cuted at Villa Grimaldi by the now-disbanded DINA (National Intelligence Directorate). The compound was razed to conceal evidence in the last days of Pinochet’s dictatorship, but since the return of democracy it has been turned into a powerful memorial park known as Parque por la Paz. Each element of the park symbolizes one aspect of the atrocities that went on there and visits here are fascinating but harrowing – be sensitive about taking pictures as other visitors may be former detainees or family members. Take the yellow bus D09 (you need a Bip! card) from right outside the Av Vespucio exit of Plaza Egaña metro station; it drops you opposite.