Must see attractions in Santiago

  • Top Choice
    Centro Gabriela Mistral

    This striking cultural and performing-arts center – named for Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in…

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    Cerro San Cristóbal

    The best views over Santiago are from the peaks and viewpoints of the Parque Metropolitano, better known as Cerro San Cristóbal. At 722 hectares, the park…

  • Top Choice
    La Chascona

    When poet Pablo Neruda needed a secret hideaway to spend time with his mistress Matilde Urrutia, he built La Chascona (loosely translated as 'Messy Hair')…

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    Top Choice
    Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

    Exquisite pottery from most major pre-Columbian cultures is the backbone of Santiago's best museum, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. As well as…

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    Top Choice
    Museo Ralli

    This little-visited museum on a quiet residential street in Vitacura boasts a stunning collection of contemporary Latin American art mixed in with…

  • Palacio de la Moneda

    Chile's presidential offices are in the Palacio de la Moneda. The ornate neoclassical building was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in the…

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    Cementerio General

    More than just a graveyard, Santiago’s Cemen­terio General is a veritable city of tombs, many adorned with works by famous local sculptors. The names…

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    Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda

    Underground art takes on a new meaning in one of Santiago's newer cultural spaces: the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda beneath Plaza de la Ciudadanía. A…

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    Templo Baha'i

    This striking shell-shaped temple in the Andean foothills is a tranquil spot to relax – even for those who don't ascribe to the Baha'í faith – with an…

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    La Vega Central

    Raspberries, quinces, figs, peaches, persimmons, custard apples…if it grows in Chile you’ll find it at La Vega Central, which is bordered by Dávila Baeza…

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    Museo Interactivo Mirador

    The stimulus is intellectual – but so much fun – at the Museo Interactivo Mirador, one of Santiago's best museums. Forget ‘do not touch’: you can handle,…

  • Palacio Cousiño

    'Flaunt it' seems to have been the main idea behind the shockingly lavish Palacio Cousiño. It was built between 1870 and 1878 by the prominent Cousiño…

  • Mercado Central

    Gleaming piles of fresh fish and crustaceans atop mounds of sparkling ice thrill foodies and photographers alike at the Mercado Central. Look for congrio …

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    Museo de la Moda

    This slick, privately operated fashion museum comprises a vast and exquisite permanent collection of Western clothing – 20th-century designers are…

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    Parque por la Paz

    During Chile’s last dictatorship some 4500 political prisoners were tortured and 241 were exe­cuted at Villa Grimaldi by the now-disbanded National…

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    Museo de Artes Visuales

    Exposed concrete, stripped wood and glass are the materials local architect Cristián Undurraga chose for the stunningly simple Museo de Artes Visuales…

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    Plaza de Armas

    Since the city's founding in 1541, the Plaza de Armas has been its symbolic heart. In colonial times a gallows was the square's grisly centerpiece; today…

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    Cerro Santa Lucía

    Take a break from the chaos of the Centro with an afternoon stroll through this lovingly manicured park. It was just a rocky hill until 19th-century mayor…