The majestic Andean Mountain Range
can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. Due to its geographic
location, Santiago is one of the few capital cities in the world
which has easy access both to ski slopes -just 50 kms. away-, and
beaches, 100 kms. away. It is in fact possible to visit the modern
ski resorts as well as the famous beach resort of Viña del
Mar or picturesque Valparaiso, Chile's main port, in just one day.
Numerous villages located in the countryside around Santiago invite
the visitor to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility of countrylife.
Tourists may also visit the vineyards and try the delicious Chilean
wines.
The Santa Lucia Hill in the city center is an important
historic landmark. It was here, at the foot of this hill formerly
known as the "Huelen", that the Spanish Conquistador Pedro
de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago on February 1 2th, 1541.
He planned the city according to the traditional Spanish checkerboard
layout which is still evident in the downtown area today. Today,
the Plaza de Armas with its colorful gardens is very different to
what it was many years ago but the buildings that surround it bring
back many memories. The Metropolitan Cathedral, on the western side
of the plaza, stands on the same spot where the first church in
Santiago was once built; to the north are three important buildings:
the Post Office, the National Museum of History and the Townhall
of Santiago. In the days of the Republic, new central neighbourhoods
-now traditional ones- were added on to the colonial Santiago of
the 16th century. By the 1930s, modern Santiago, with its green
areas and architecture had come into being. The growth and development
which have taken place during the past years are evident in the
facilities which the city offers the visitor.
New and comfortable hotels Located both in the center
and on the eastern side of the city, have significantly increased
Santiago's capacity to accommodate visitors as well as providing
special facilities for congresses and conventions. Together with
the development of tourist infrastructure, gastronomy in Chile has
also taken1on a new lease of life, both as regards the quality and
the quantity of restaurants.
Historical Santiago
DOWNTOWN, includes churches dating from the 1 7th and 1 8th centuries
and buildings that were once the seat of important colonial institutions,
as well as other important historic landmarks.
Santa Lucia Hill - National Library-Casa Colorada
(Museum of Santiago)
Stock Exchange
Club de la Union Building La Moneda Palace (Government Headquarters)
- Plaza de la Constitucion.
Plaza de Armas - Townhall of Santiago Real Audiencia Building (National
Museum of History) Central Post Office Building
Royal Customs Building (Museum of pre-Columbian Art) - Former National
Congress Building - Palace of Justice - Club de Septiembre, Diplomatic
Academy
Manso de Velasco`s House
Santo Domingo Temple
Central Market-Mapocho Station
San Francisco Church- Paris-Londres Neighbourhood-Catholic Univerty`s
Main Campus-Vera Cruz Church
Tranditional Neighbourhoods includes a tour through streets dating
from the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, mansion houses
built by well-to-do families reveal the influence of European culture.
Racetrack
Diego de Almagro Plaza-Church of the Holy Sacrament-
Cousin'o Palace-Racetrack
Ejercito, Republica and Espan a Avenues and Dieciocho, Vergara and
Cienfues Streets - Main Railway Station
Cultural and artistic Santiago
A visit to the museums, art galleries, handcraft centers and neighbourhoods
with intense cultural and artistic activity will give the visitor
an insight into the culture and traditions of the country and its
people. A few suggestions:
Museums in Santiago:
Colonial San Francisco
of Contemporary Art
of Decorative Art. A must.
of Popular American Art
of Pre-Columbian Art. A must.
of Fine Arts
of Santiago, "Casa Colorada"
of National History
``La Chascona", House of the poet Pablo Neruda
of Natural History
Municipal Theater - Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro with its art galleries
and antique stores.
Bellavista district - Park of Sculptures
Providencia district (art galleries, cinemas and theater halls)
- Cultural Institute of Providencia.
Artisan Village of Los Graneros del Alba - Los Dominicos Church
-
Cultural Institute of Las Condes - Cultural Institute of La Reina.
Natural Santiago
Green areas located throughout the different sec- tors give the
city a fresh and natural touch.
Forestal Park, borders the south bank of the Mapocho
River, west of Plaza Baquedano and has fine sculptures located throughout
it.
Metropolitan Park in the San Cristobal Hill: includes a zoo, two
swimming pools, picnic areas, restaurants and Enoteca. It can be
visited by car, cable car or teleferique.
Santa Lucia Hill, in the heart of the city.
Balmaceda Park, in the Las Condes district.
Araucano Park, in the Las Condes district.
Intercomunal Park of La Reina.
O'Higgins Park, located in the district of Santiago. Amongst its
attractions is ``El Pueblito": which resembles a typical Chilean
country village.
Quinta Normal Park: 40 acres located in west Santiago.
Shopping in Santiago
National and imported goods at reasonable prices are available in
Santiago in some of the following areas:
Downtown, between Miraflores and Amunategui streets
and Av. B. O'Higgins and Santo Domingo street.
Providencia Avenue, including chic boutiques on Suecia, General
Holley, Los Leones, Ricardo Lyon streets, amongst others.
Shopping Centers: Panoramico, Apumanque and Parque Arauco, in the
eastern area.
Plaza Vespucio, in the southern area.
Gastronomical Santiago
Santiago's restaurants offer local cuisine based on seafood, fish,
vegetables, and meat, as well as a variety of international specialities.
Aeras where most restaurants are located are:
Bellavista district.
El Bosque - Isidora Goyenechea area.
Providencia Suecia area
General Holley, also has elegant bars.
Paseo San Damián. Las Condes.
Santiago the ideal city for incentive trips, meetings and congresses
Nowadays it is vital to have somewhere special where you can do
business, arrange meetings and meet up with contacts. Santiago,
like other cities in Chile -Viña del Mar, Arica, La Serena
and Concepcio- combines all the ideal characteristics: a pleasant
climate, beautiful surroundings and first-class tourist facilities.
Most major multinational companies, whether European, North American
or Japanese, have offices and/ or representatives in Santiago. They
have chosen Chile as their South American operational base because
of the efficient services offered here.
A modern communications network via satelite -International
Direct Dialing telephone system, fax and telex-offers permanent
contact with other countries. A good highway system and a regular
transport service connects Santiago with the rest of the country
and the world. The International Airport receives over 100 regular
flights a week from 20 different international and two national
airlines. Chile's financial system is sophisticated and efficient,
which explains why 22 foreign banks and 24 national banks operate
in the country, supplying the corresponding facilities for financial
operations. In Chile, those in charge of organizing conventions
will find that the very best facilities and efficient backup systems
are available to help them guarantee the success of every event.
The ideal place, where you can really enjoy doing
business
Convention centers, numerous well-organized tourist
facilities offering the efficient professional and friendly attention
characteristic of the Chilean people, are determining factors when
it comes to choosing the right meeting place. Due to its variety
of tourist attractions, Chile is an ideal destination for incentive
trips. As the main port of entry to the country, Santiago is the
right place from which to start a visit, a fitting reward for hard
work and professional achievement.
For a weekend of sun, snow and fun.
Santiago and outskirts
Valparaiso and Viña del Mar
An excellent highway about a hundred kilometers long leads to the
coast through the valleys of Curacavi and Casablanca. The countryside
is beautiful and there are several typical Chilean restaurants serving
good local food along the way.
Viña del Mar, also known as the Garden City, has 300 thousand
inhabitants and is the country's main beach resort. Located next
to the Port of Valparaiso it has a good selection of hotels and
a wide variety of restaurants, a Casino, cafes, discotheques and
good shops. Visitors can go for a ride in a traditional horse-drawn
"Victoria" and see the town with its wellkept gardens
by the sea. The past and the present intermingle in this bustling
tourist center.
Valparaiso, linked to Viña del Mar, is Chile's
main port and also the site of the Chilean Congress.
The magnificent view from the numerous hills surrounding
the bay of Valparaiso has long been a source of inspiration for
both Chilean and foreign artists. It is undoubtedly worth going
for a stroll around the picturesque fishing coves or taking one
of the old-fashioned elevators up to the hills of Valparaiso with
their multicolored houses and mansions dating from last century.
"La Sebastiana", Pablo Neruda's museum-cum-house, recently
opened to the public, is located on one of these hills. His most
important housemuseum, which is filled with his collections, is
in Isla Negra, Just an hour from Valparaiso, or an hour and a half
from Santiago. As one of the most important ports in the Pacific
Ocean, Valparaiso receives ships from all over the world. Here,
they unload their cargos and load up again with Chilean goods destined
for international markets.
Vineyards
In the Maipo Valley, near the city of Santiago, lies one of the
country's most important winegrowing areas. This region combines
the three ideal conditions know internationally as the "trilogy"
necessary to produce good wine: climate-soil- vinestock.
Several vineyards are located in this area: The Concha y Toro vineyard
in Pirque offers guided tours of the winery and the nearby village
of Pirque with its beautiful countryside and mountain air and old
haciendas with their stately manor houses. Other vineyards in the
area open to the public are: Santa Rita, Santa Carolina and Cousin
o Macul.
Ski Resorts
The ski resorts, which can be reached by bus or car, are located
less that an hour's drive from Santiago. Farellones-EI Colorado,
La Parva and Valle Nevado are all situated on the slopes of the
Andean mountains. From June to October these resorts, as well as
others in Chile, are visited by both foreign and Chilean ski fanatics,
because of the excellent slopes, good snow, nice weather and modern
infrastructure.
Also near Santiago, but 145 kilometers northeast is Portillo with
its traditional hotel of international fame, overlooking the beautiful
Del Inca Lagoon.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Santiago is located at 543 meters above sea level, in Chile's central
zone, 2,051 kms south of Arica, the country's northernmost city
and 3,141 kms. north of Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the
world. The Pacific Ocean is located a hundred kilometers away and
the Andean Mountain Range. 40 kms
Climate
Warm with annual average temperature of 14.5oC (21oC in January,
summer and 8.4oC in July. winter), with annual average rainfall
of 346 mm.
Population
Chile has a total population of about thirteen million inhabitants
of whom 5 million live in the capital city, Santiago
Language
The official language spoken is Spanish. In tourist companies and
organizations the higher echelons speak English and/or French.
Time
Winter : -4 hours GMT
Summer : -3 hours GMT
Airport
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport The airport
is located 17 kms. from downtown Santiago. There is a bus (approx.
US1:30)andtaxiservice(approx:US 18) (*), which takes you to and
from the airport.
TRANSPORT
There is a bf SUBWAY that runs from east to west and north to south
in the city as well as buses and taxis. The city is connected to
the rest of the country by mean of:
Airplanes
Two Chilean airlines, Ladeco and Lan Chile run regular daily flights
There are also companies that run air taxi services.
Buses
Buses run to any part of the country with on board services such
as food, bar, video and telephone, etc. Bus terminals are located
in: Buses Norte: Amunategui 920 (Tel. 6712141): Los Hroes: Roberto
Pretot 21 (Tel 6969250); Santiago: Av. L. Bernardo O'Higgins 3800
(Tel. 7791385); Alameda: Av L Bernardo O'Higgins 3794 (Tel 7761
023)
Trains
Trains run from Santiago to the south of the country with final
destination Puento Montt The Main Railway Station is located in
Av. L. Bernardo O'Higgins 3322 (Tel. 68951 99)
MONEY EXCHANGE AND CREDIT CARDS
Money exchange can be done in banks, money exchange houses and main
hotels Most major credit cards are accepted in shops, hotels and
travel agencies Banks Banks are open Mondays to Fridays, from 9
am to 2pm Money Exchange Houses Money Exchange Houses have the same
opening hours as shops.
SHOPS
Shops are open Mondays to Fridays, from 10 am to 8 pm and from 10
am to 2 pm on Saturdays. Shopping Centers open Mondays to Sundays.
fromlOamto9pm.
COMMUNICATIONS
Area code for Chile (56) Area code for Santiago (2) Public telephone
and fax services are located throughout the city Consult Entel-Chile.
TOURIST INFORMATION SERNATUR (National Tourism Board)
Offices in the Airport and in Nro. 1550 Providencia. Tel. 2360531
Open: Mondays to Fridays 8.30 am to 6 30 pm and Saturdays from 9
am to 1 pm
HOLIDAYS
January lst/Good Friday and Saturday (variable: March/April)/May
lst/Corpus Christi (variable: May/ June3/June 29th/August 15 th/
September 1 8th-1 9th/October 1 2th/ November 1 st/December 8th/
December 25th/
HOTELS
Referential rates, double room
5*
from US$ 180
4*
from US$ 100
3*
from US$ 40
MEALS
Referential prices:
Lunch
from US$ 5
Snack
from US$ 3
USEFUL ADDRESSES
International Airport Information
Tel. 6019709/6019001/ 6019554 Ladeco, Tel 6019445, Lan Chile, Tel.
6019165
Main Railway Station
Av L. Bernardo O'Higgins 3322 Reservations and information, Tel
68951 99/6895401 /68957 1 8 Tickets:
Av. L Bernardo O'Higgins 853 L 21 Tel 398247
Escuela Militar Subway Station, L 25 Tel 2282983 Monday to Fridays
from 8 30 am to 1 pm. Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm
C.T.C.
Chilean Telephone Company National and international calls Moneda
11 51
ENTEL
National Tolecommunications Company Huerfanos 1133 Tel. 6902612
Telex Chile
National, international calls as well as Fax service Morande 147
Tel. 6968807
Immigration
Loss of Tourist Card, International Police, Border Department. General
Borgon o 1052, Tel 371292/6982211. Monday to Friday from 8 30 am
to 12.15 noon and 3 to 6 30 pm -Renewal of Tourist Card Superintendence
of Metropolitan Region. Moneda 1342, Tel 6725320 Monday to Friday
from 9 am to 1 pm.
Emergencies
Ambulance: Tel. 2244422
Public Assistance: Tel. 342291-
Fire Department: Tel. 132
Police: Tel 133
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Computer Science Department, University of Chile.
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Copyright 1994, City Net Express, All Rights Reserved. Revised November
7, 1994
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