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Santiago, the capital of Chile, is found on the west coast of South America. With its own airport, Santiago is easily accessible from many US airlines. It’s notable Latin influence adds to the tropical vibe. Jazz is alive in Santiago with many great jazz players performing at many different clubs. Santiago can be slightly expensive in some parts and is notorious for smog, especially during the winter. Santiago can be a great place for student travel if you go to the right place during the right time.

Santiago Pictures

Things to do in Santiago

The downtown area of the city is where the bulk of the activities are. Santiago is famous for it’s wine and offers wine tasting right in the city. Concha y Toro, Chile’s most famous winery, has wine tasting available in a Napa Valley-style tasting room along with a gift shop. Go ahead and try it; the drinking age is 18. Chile is also home to many good climbing mountains. For those who like a good view the Parque Metropolitano offers a great view of the city and can be reached by funicular, cable car, or hike. Also featured in the park is a botanical garden, zoo, and two swimming pools. The downtown of Santiago is home to many different plazas and shopping areas such as the Plaza De Armas and Santiago Centro. Be careful for pick-pockets! If history’s your thing then check out La Chascona, once home to famous poet Pablo Neruda. Tours are given daily in both English and Spanish. Are you more into the arts? Santiago features great performing arts, with concerts, plays, and recitals going on Friday and Saturday night. Check listings in El Mercutio for times. Also check out The Club de Jazz de Santiago for some of the best jazz in Chile. Remember your student ID, most venues give discounts to students!

Nightlife in Santiago

Santiago nightlife varies a lot by the location and price of the club. If you’re into a more upscale, exclusive place then hit up Suecia, Vitacura, and Isidora Goyenechea. If you like a more popular type of club then Bellavista, Plaza Nunoa, and Brasil can provide a wild spring break. For a small club with a unique atmosphere check out the Manuel Montt. To get a good beer take the Metro to Baquedano and cross the bridge to Pio Nono. This street is incredible with some of the best beer in Santiago! A great place to go for variety is the Bellavista. There you can find discos with all kinds of music and jazz bars. It’s also one of the only bars in Santiago with a predominately gay crowd. Most places close at 5 am but a few have “after hours” which run until 7 am.

Dining in Santiago

Santiago only has a few places worth noting but has many decent restaurants within the city. The Bar Nacional is one place to visit with hearty meals and a big selection of local and imported drinks. A great place to get pizza is Amadeus, between metros Buquedano and Parque Bustamante. According to Chileans, Ceviche is the best South American cooking and is worth the stop; many restaurants in Santiago serve this dish.

Shopping in Santiago

Santiago has a ton of malls that are pretty easy to get to. These include the Mall Plaza Vespucio, Plaza Oeste, Portal de La Dehesa, Parque Arauco, Alto Las Condes, Florida Center, and Plaza Norte. They have common mall-type stores and house the most famous department stores in Chile, Falabella and Paris and Ripley. For upscale fashion stores like Louis Vuitton and Hermes check out Alonso de Cordoba Street and Nueva Costanera Avenue. You can find clothes and art by local designers as well. For craft items, go to the Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia, they are cheap and good quality.

Santiago travel tips

• Don’t be surprised, Chile is not racially diverse.
• Don’t wear expensive looking jewelry or watches.
• Avoid La Legua, it is the worst neighborhood in Chile.