Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range. A busy, cosmopolitan city of nearly 7 million people.
Just a short distance south east of the coastal town of beautiful Valparisio lies Santiago. It always feels good to hit a capital city for some vibrancy and lots to see, Santiago does not disappoint.
We stayed on Bella Vista, an area know for its street art with a short walk into the city centre and we were rewarded with a magnificent array of street art.
We visited the old main train station, now used for exhibitions, a wonderful piece of architecture and well worth a look. It looked closed but we managed to get in with our pigeon Spanish and a friendly smile!
The fish market (Mercardo Centrale) is also a must see, fish stalls, restaurants, bars and a hive of activity and smells.
We also visited the Art Museum, sited in a lovely spacious and grand building just over the bridge from Bella Vista. We were in Santiago during some of the recent protests about the government social changes leading to lots of protesters covering the city’s buildings and statues with political graffiti.
Within the art museum they had a writing board for visitors to say what they think should be done about the political graffiti covering much of the city’s old buildings and statues. An interesting conundrum we felt best left for the locals to decide…
The Plaza de Armas is one of the main squares in Santiago and a great place to hang out and people watch from one of the many bars there.
Thank you Santiago for a wonderful stay!
Jeff's Travel And Photo Blog 