Cerro Santa Lucia – The first thing to do in Santiago de Chile
In the city of Santiago, apart from permanently appreciating the mountain range from almost all its points, two hills are added in the middle of the city that make it even more beautiful. The Santa Lucia hill is the smallest one that can be climbed on foot without problems and you do not have to pay to enter.
It is interesting to go up one end and go down the other since different environments are presented, although in itself it is worth escaping a little from the city and the pollution that affects Santiago so much to enjoy a totally natural environment.
From the hill we can not only have very good views of the city but also a clearer image of the mountain range despite it being always covered with that characteristic mist of Santiago.
It was in this precise place that Pedro de Valdivia established his camp before founding the city, which also gives it historical importance.
Climbing the hill is not complicated at all, the paths are wide, it is not steep, so we recommend everyone visit it, being able to enjoy different species of trees, plants, the Hidalgo Castle and the Fountain of Neptune.
The Neighborhoods to Visit in Santiago de Chile
Lastarria neighborhood
If we descend from Santa Lucia Hill through the Neptune fountain, we will only have to walk 2 blocks to reach this beautiful neighborhood.
It is very small, it only covers a few blocks, but it is more than advisable to visit it and why not sit in one of its little bars on Merced Street to have a delicious coffee or hot chocolate, a classic in Santiago.
Right there you can find some picturesque shops and buildings, the most striking of which is the Museum of Visual Arts of Santiago because it is covered with vines.
Next to this neighborhood is the Forest Park, which caught our attention because it was somewhat similar to Central Park and we really enjoyed visiting it. At one end is the Museum of Fine Arts.
Bellavista neighborhood
Walking through the Forest Park you will reach Vicuña Mackenna Avenue, there on your left you will find a bridge that crosses the Mapocho River to continue walking and reach the Bellavista neighborhood.
In this neighborhood you will find several restaurants to eat excellent dishes and the prices vary depending on the place you go but for the most part they are good. We went for lunch on Constitución Street to Como Agua para Chocolate and at night inside the Patio Bellavista to Barrica 94. We highly recommend both and if you are not going to eat it is also a nice place to walk.
Walking along Constitución Street at the end of it you can access La Chascona, the house of the renowned Chilean poet and writer, Neruda. It can be visited from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and to enter you must pay 10 dollars.
Cerro San Cristobal – Another hill to see in Santiago de Chile
If you continue walking along the same street you will find access to Cerro San Cristobal. You don’t have to pay anything to access it either, but you have to walk quite a bit to get to the highest point. To avoid this, you can choose to go up and down the funicular or choose to only go up and walk down. You can also go up by car or bike.
The other option and the one we chose was to go up by funicular and go down by cable car. The difference is that the cable car goes down the other end of the hill, leaving you 500 meters from the Costanera Center (shopping in the Condes neighborhood), so if you want to end your trip shopping or because you are staying in this neighborhood, we recommend choosing that cable car. option, since with the funicular they return to the same place where they took it. It operates from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. From the cable car you can have beautiful views from your cabin, the journey lasting approximately 15 minutes. For more information this is the official page
The San Cristobal hill is the most enormous park in Santiago and at its highest point you can find the figure of the 12-meter-high virgin and from where you can get incredible views of the city. Taking this tour is the last thing you are going to do in Santiago de Chile