Framed by snowcapped peaks, this is the little town that grew and grew.

Santiago de Chile is a modern metropolis with a shiny face and has one of South America's most dynamic economies. At the same time, struggling street vendors board city buses to hawk everything from pins to ice cream, and housemaids ride for hours to scrub floors and change nappies in exclusive suburbs.

First and foremost, smog-blighted Santiago is a city of commerce, but there are rewards for the patient traveler - its thriving culinary and artistic enclaves are a joy to discover, and less than an hour away are world-class ski resorts, famous beaches and the colorful port city of Valparaíso.

Fast Facts

Population

4,671,500

Currency

Name: Chilean Peso
Code: CLP
Symbol: Ch$

Electrical Plugs

European plug with two circular metal pins
220V 50Hz

Languages Spoken

Official: Spanish

Time Zones

GMT/UTC -4 

Country Dialing Code

+56

Weights & Measures

Metric

Chile & Easter Island - Pick & Mix Chapters

Chile & Easter Island - Pick & Mix Chapters

Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Chile & Easter Island guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Chile & Easter Island download page.

Traveller Tips & Discussion

Thorn Tree Forum

  • Santiago
    Post by: white1980, 08 Jan 08
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    Last reply: 180 days ago
  • Santiago
    Post by: notme, 25 Feb 07
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    Last reply: 497 days ago
  • Santiago
    Post by: paddyleblanc, 18 May 07
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    Last reply: 415 days ago
  • Santiago
    Post by: kalafanakis, 08 Apr 07
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    Last reply: 455 days ago
  • Santiago.
    Post by: Shona, 17 May 07
    7 Replies
    Last reply: 416 days ago

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