Santiago’s Bohemian face is most obvious in the Bellavista district, on the north bank of the Río Mapocho at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal. This is the main focus of nightlife in the old city; the area around Pío Nono and Antonia López de Bello hums and buzzes, especially at weekends. In the bars is anything from live Cuban music to local imitations of Georges Brassens, while eating options range from classic Italian dishes to sushi and West African palm-nut stew. There are also theatres, art galleries and craft shops specializing in lapis lazuli, and the recently remodelled Patio Bellavista with boutiques, bars and restaurants.
Also in Bellavista is La Chascona (Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192, 02-777 8741, http://www.fundacionneruda.org, Tue-Sun 1000-1300 and 1500-1800, guided visits only, US$4 in Spanish, US$6 in English). This is one of the homes of the poet Pablo Neruda. The house is in three parts, built on a steep hillside and separated by gardens, and apart from numerous objets d'art it contains work by Diego Rivera, Fernand Léger and Roberto Matta as well as Neruda's Nobel Prize, Order of Lenin and Order of the French Legion of Honour. La Chascona was completed in 1955 and thereafter Neruda lived here whenever he was in the capital. It is basically in the same condition as when he lived here (it was restored after being damaged by the military) and is also now the headquarters of the Fundación Pablo Neruda.
Bellavista lies to the northeast of the city, at the foot of the sharp, conical hill of San Cristóbal, which forms the Parque Metropolitano (daily 0900-2100, vehicles US$4), the largest and most interesting of the city’s parks. On a clear day it provides excellent views over the city and across to the Andes. More usually, however, the views provide a graphic demonstration of Santiago’s continuing smog problem. There are two entrances: one on Pío Nono in Bellavista; the other on Pedro de Valdivia Norte, further to the east.
To ascend Cerro San Cristóbal, there is a funicular (every few minutes from Plaza Caupolicán at the northern end of C Pío Nono, daily 1000-2000, US$3 return) and a teleférico (from Estación Oasis, Av Pedro de Valdivia Norte via Tupahue to San Cristóbal, the funicular's upper station, summer only, Mon 1430-1830, Tue-Fri 1030-1830, Sat-Sun 1030-1900, US$4 combined funicular/teleférico ticket). Halfway between the Bellavista entrance and the cumbre (summit) is the Jardín Zoológico (http://www.zoologico.cl, Tue-Sun 1000-1800, US$4), which has a well cared for collection of animals. When the weather is good, the walk up the access road from Bellavista is very pleasant, providing unexpected views of distant and little-visited northern parts of the city. On Cerro Cumbre (300 m above the city), there is a colossal statue of the Virgin, which is floodlit at night and now blighted by a giant antenna; beside it is the astronomical observatory of the Catholic University, which can be visited on application to the observatory’s director.
When the teleférico is closed, the Tupahue sector is reached by taxi either from the Bellavista entrance (much cheaper from inside the park as taxis entering the park have to pay the entrance fee) or alternatively you could walk the kilometre from Pedro de Valdivia metro. This section of the park contains terraces, gardens and paths. One building houses the Camino Real (02-232 1758, http://www.eventoscaminoreal.cl), a good, expensive restaurant with a splendid view from the terrace, especially at night, and an enoteca or exhibition of Chilean wines from a range of vineyards. You can taste one of the six ‘wines of the day’ for US$3 per glass, and buy if you like, although prices are higher than in shops. Nearby is the Casa de la Cultura, which has art exhibitions and free concerts at midday on Sunday. There are also two good swimming pools in the park. East of Tupahue are the Botanical Gardens (daily 0900-1800, guided tours available), with a collection of Chilean native plants.
From the top of Cerro San Cristóbal the Cementerio General can be seen, situated in the barrio of La Recoleta to the north. This cemetery contains the mausolea of most of the great figures in Chilean history and the arts, including Violeta Parra, Victor Jara and Salvador Allende. There is also an impressive monument to the victims of the 1973-1990 military government; their names, ages and dates of detention or disappearance are listed in two sections: those who disappeared and those executed for political reasons. See http://www.cementeriogeneral.cl for more details. The cemetery can be reached by any Recoleta bus from Calle Miraflores or by metro, Cementerios, line 2....
Get the best info about sights, places to eat and sleep in Bellavista and Cerro San Cristobal free to download!
download free pdf
