There are many different leisure activities in Santiago. After all, a large metropolitan area of over 7 million inhabitants provides a wide variety of activities for all kinds of interests.
The bustling Plaza de Armas is in the centre of the city. Here, it is rare not to see street entertainers with large crowds cheering them on and multiple tables set up in a far corner for the chess club to meet. The background to all of this action is the ornate Cathedral and the adjoining museum of religious art. Right around the plaza, you can also find the national history museum and the Pre-Columbian art museum--one of the finest in all of Latin America
Concerts, theatre and soccer (futbol) games are all very popular in Santiago, and you can buy tickets to any of these events on Ticketpro (see link below).
Shopping in Santiago
If you enjoy exploring local cuisine and culture at the same time, the most popular places to do this are the Mercado Central and La Vega. Here you can find local produce, seafood, and restaurants. If you prefer mall shopping, the Costanera Center is located in the tallest building in South America, the Torre Costanera. Below is the link to see more about the tallest building in South America.
Other centres include Alto Las Condes, Parque Arauco, Portal la Dehesa. These malls provide more than just shopping as they also have movie theatres, an ice skating rink, arcades, and bowling alleys.
Vitacura has upscale fashion shops, and there are American-style outlet malls just north of Santiago in Quilicura. For local arts and crafts type shopping, there's Pueblito Los Dominicos in Las Condes and Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia in Santiago Centro.
Skiing in Santiago
If you like outdoor activities, there are three ski slopes within an hour from Santiago: Valle Nevado, El Colorado or La Parva.
Wineries in Santiago
There are also a few wineries just outside Santiago, normally accessible by metro, that provide tours with wine tastings. Two of the most frequented are Vina Concha y Toro and Vina Cousino Macul. Concha y Toro is the biggest wine producer in Latin America and is a popular brand on the shelves in the US and the UK. The tour includes a visit to the garden to see the types of grapes grown, a wine tasting on the patio, and then a visit to the infamous Casillero del Diablo, the devil's cellar. Vina Cousino Macul is the oldest winery in Chile. It is also one of the biggest and is still run by the founding family.
Parks in Santiago
The largest and most popular outdoor parks are:
- Parque O'Higgins in downtown Santiago has lots of open spaces and is close to Fantasilandia, an amusement park with roller coasters, and Movistar Arena which hosts concerts.
- Parque Forestal is a linear green park that runs along the River Mapocho. The paths bring you past two museums - Museo Bellas Artes and the Contemporary Art Museum. A jazz festival and other recreational, cultural events are often hosted in the park.
- Parque Metropolitano is the largest park in the city. This park is home to Cerro San Cristobal known for its views of the city. It also has two swimming pools open in the summer, a botanic garden, a zoo, cable cars, a funicular railway, picnic areas with grills, and trekking and cycling routes. Something for everybody!
- Parque Quinta Normal is a lovely park that opened in 1841 as a nursery for imported plants and trees. It is now home to some majestic giant sequoias and other magnificent trees. The park also has a sporting facility and a pond with paddleboats, as well as a Natural History Museum, a science museum, a train museum, and an art museum on the grounds.
Useful links:
Precolombino
Natural History Museum
Artequin
Museo Histórico Nacional
Ticketpro
Sky Costanera
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