Santiago: Feeling the heart and soul of Chile

point, that must-see neighbourhood is Bellavista.

Imagine visiting Paris and ignoring Montmartre.

Would you miss Chinatown when visiting San Francisco, pass on New York’s Greenwich Village, Boston’s North End or London’s West End?

It is no different when visiting South American cities. Like me, many visitors to the major cities on this varied and complex continent arrive on a cruise — or will be after the COVID-19 pandemic is finally over.

Yes, every city has individual highlights.

In Buenos Aries it’s Eva Peron’s gravesite and a visit to La Boca, a working-class barrio where the Tango was born. In Rio de Janeiro, take the tram up Corcovado and photograph the Christ The Redeemer statue.

In Lima, a must-see site is the pre-Inca temple Hauca Pucllana, about 900 years older than the more famous Temple of the Sun at Machu Piccu.

But, for a glimpse into the heart and soul of a city, there are must-see neighbourhoods that make each city visit memorable.

In Santiago, Chile’s capital, financial centre, and a major South American cruise embarkation

Santiago offers a wide range of cultural attractions that will keep you busy for days. It has two symphony orchestras, one of South America’s finest opera companies, contemporary and tradition art galleries, 16 major museums and 33 public and private universities.

But with a just a day or two before your cruise ship leaves from nearby Valparaiso — a 90-minute bus ride from downtown Santiago — using your time to explore is precious.

The barrio may be a relatively small enclave in a city of six million-plus inhabitants, yet it defines the character and heart of Santiago itself. It’s just below the funicular to Cerro San Cristobal (San Cristobal Hill), a major tourist site that is home to the statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception, the city’s landmark.

This bohemian-like neighbourhood with its French influences in architecture, culture and feel, has streets lined with trees and a variety of colourful vintage homes, many of which have been converted into restaurants and studios used by artists and musicians.

It is where you want to be day or evening, eating inside or out at one of the many cozy bistros. Nighttime fun begins around 10 p.m., lasting well into the early morning, as pubs and nightclubs close at 4 a.m.

Usually, the only people dining between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. are North American and European tourists.

Between Calle Constitucion and Pio

Nono is Patio Bellavista, an enclosed, modern plaza — it’s the common drop-off point for taxis. Locals eat, shop and explore stores selling everything from clothing to wine shops stocking Chilean whites, reds and champagne-method wines you won’t find back home.

Along Calle Dardignac, the area’s trendiest street, dozens of restaurants and bars stand side-by-side.

One of my favourites is the Cava de Dardignac, located at Dardignac 0191. It is renowned for having pioneered the “tabla” — a local version of smorgasbord that makes ideal nibbling while sipping your Cabernet Sauvignon.

When you have tired of eating and shopping, explore La Chascona, the home once owned by Chile’s Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. The home was built to resemble a ship and its unusually shaped rooms wind around a compact courtyard. It is headquarters for the Fundación Pablo Neruda, the organization that provides guided tours. There is no end to the possibilities in exploring Santiago. The shopping is superb, with major malls scattered throughout the city and unique places, like Alto las Condes, arguably the most modern shopping centre in South America, located near the Grand Hyatt Santiago.

Don’t miss the Pueblo Los Dominicos, at the end of Avenue Apoquindo with its 180 handicraft shops offering Chilean traditional and contemporary crafts from all regions of the country. Don’t worry about getting around the city. Most taxi drivers, hotel and restaurant employees speak and understand basic English — and the subway is so easy to use.

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