Plaza de Armas (Compañía de Jesús, Santiago) – this is the center of the city, going back to the original urban planning the city during the 16th century. Various historic building are in this area, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago, Central Post Office Building, and the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago. […]
Palacio Cousiño (Dieciocho 438, La Alameda, Santiago) — Dating from the early 1870s, this fabulous mansion was built by the wealthy Cousiño-Goyenechea family. All that mining money allowed them to build this palace with amenities such as one of the country’s first elevators. The elegant furnishings were—of course—imported from France. This building suffered significant damage […]
Metro – the Chilean capital’s local Subway system (the Metro) currently have five lines (L1, L2, L4, L4A, and L5) with a sixth line currently under construction (L6). Passengers must buy a “bip!” card to use the Metro (and/or local buses – known as “Micros”). A one way fare (on either the Metro or Micro) […]
TAXI – in Santiago, taxis are easy to spot (they are yellow and black). Upon getting into a taxi, the fare is $1,000 pesos (US$2), and progress from there. Of course, there are a number of taxi companies that are available via phone: Alborada: +56 2 246-4900 Andes Pacifico: +56 2 912-6000 Apoquindo: +56 2 […]
Villa Grimaldi (Av Jose Arrieta 8401, La Reina, Santiago) –– this enclosed plot of land was used as a torture center under Dictator Augusto Pinochet from 1974 – 1978. The political tortures in Chile haven’t been publicized enough to the outside world and this memorial site (opened in 1997) holds both history and memory. Foreigners […]
Titanium La Portada (Av El Bosque Norte 500, Las Condes, Santiago) — located in the capital’s high-end financial district of El Golf, it is the second tallest skyscraper in the country. It was completed in 2010. Abraham Senerman and Andrés Weil were the Titanium’s architects, who chose its futuristic look. At a height of 140 […]
Santiago Museum of Contemporary Art / MAC (Ismael Valdés Vergara, Santiago) – created in 1947, this is one of Santiago’s main museums (run by the University of Chile Faculty of Arts). The museum has collected around 2,000 works by Chilean artists as well as some international pieces – consisting of artists such as Roberto Matta, […]
Santa Lucía Hill (e/Alameda del Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins in the south, Calle Santa Lucía, and Victoria Subercaseaux, Santiago) — at the eastern end of downtown Santiago you will find Cerro Santa Lucia (Santa Lucía Hill) which is a small hill that is adorned with wonderful facades, fountains and stairways and that even has a ‘castle’ […]
Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia (Av. Compañís 1140, Santiago Centro, Santiago) — During Augusto Pinochet’s rule, countless human-rights demonstrations were held outside the Courts of Justice, which house the country’s Supreme Court (along with the Court of Appeals of Santiago, the court-martial court for the Chilean Army, Air Force, and the Carabineros de Chile […]
Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Matucana 501, Santiago) – this museum, opened in 2010 by then-Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, was dedicated to the victims of human rights violations committed by the military regime of Gen. Pinochet between 1973 and 1990. Bachelet herself was one of those victims. The museum houses memorabilia of torture devices […]