This striking cultural and performing-arts center – named for Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in…
Must see attractions in Santiago
- Top ChoiceCentro Gabriela Mistral
- Top ChoiceCerro 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 ChoiceLa 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')…
- MTop ChoiceMuseo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
Opened in 2010, this striking museum isn't for the faint of heart: the exhibits expose the terrifying human rights violations and large-scale …
- MTop ChoiceMuseo 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…
- MTop ChoiceMuseo 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…
- CCementerio 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…
- CCentro 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…
- TTemplo 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…
- LLa 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…
- MMuseo 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,…
- Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende
Picasso, Miró, Tápies and Matta are some of the artistic heavyweights who gave works to the Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende. Begun as a populist…
- 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 …
- MMuseo de la Moda
This slick, privately operated fashion museum comprises a vast and exquisite permanent collection of Western clothing – 20th-century designers are…
- PParque 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…
- MMuseo 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…
- PPlaza 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…
- CCerro 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…