Hidden gems in Santiago
Skip the tourist circuit. These Santiago spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Santiago
Cerro San Cristóbal
OutdoorsBellavista
Funicular up — Virgen statue, panoramic deck, mote con huesillo at the top.
Barrio Lastarria
CultureLastarria
Café-and-bookshop strip with art-house cinema + GAM cultural centre.
Mercado Central
Food & DrinkCentro
Wrought-iron fish market — order conger eel chowder at Donde Augusto.
Sky Costanera
CultureProvidencia
Tallest building in South America — 360° Andes view.
Cajón del Maipo
OutdoorsPre-cordillera
Day trip to thermal pools and El Yeso reservoir, 90 min from downtown.
Where to eat
Boragó
$$$$Contemporary Chilean · Vitacura
Rodolfo Guzmán's foraging-driven 'endémica' tasting — Latin America's 50 Best.
Liguria Bellavista
$$Bistro · Providencia
Lomo a lo pobre and pisco sours, walls plastered with Chilean memorabilia.
Peumayén Ancestral Food
$$$Indigenous Chilean · Bellavista
Tasting platter spanning Rapa Nui, Mapuche, Aymara cuisines.
Salvador Cocina y Café
$$Chilean · Centro
Lunch-only spot championing Chilean ingredients, daily menu only.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Cerro San Cristóbal, Barrio Lastarria, Mercado Central. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.