North of the Mapoche river, at the base of Cerro San Cristobal, this is one of Santiago's prettiest neighborhoods. With pastel colored houses, balconies, Barrio Bellavista is a great place to stroll through the streets and enjoy one of the many fine restaurants.
Leaving the city center for the east, and climbing into the foothills, the neighborhoods of Providencia, El Golf and Las Condes are residential in nature, but becoming more commercial with a new financial area arising in Providencia. Las Condes is home to the giant Alto Las Condes shopping mall. Most of the major hotels provide free shuttle service to the mall.
Other barrios, farther out, are purely residential. While a drive through Vitacura, Ñuñoa and La Reina neighborhoods gives the visitor an idea of upscale Santiago living, they are not usual attractions. At the end of Las Condes avenue, the old village of El Arrayán is becoming an exclusive residential area.
Getting There
Most visitors come to Chile via Santiago. With snow and skiing centers 40 km away to the east, and the Pacific Ocean resorts 100 km away to the west, it’s easy to use Santiago as a base for touring Central Chile before heading either north or south for the extreme differences in geography, natural attractions and climate.
Getting to Santiago is not difficult. It’s linked by air to North America, Europe and Australasia, and most international flights arrive in Santiago. The national carrier is LAN-Chile. There is an international departure tax, and citizens of North America must pay a reciprocal visa tax.
When to Go
The climate is considered Mediterranean: temperate, with regular temperature variations between winter and summer. The rainy season lasts from March to September, and the temperature in summer rises above 22 degrees centigrade. Visits to Santiago are best in spring, September through November, or fall, late February into April. However, skiers from the Nothern Hemisphere throng to Chile for skiing June through August.
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