First time in Santiago — what locals actually recommend
If it's your first weekend in Santiago, this is the locals' shortlist — the sights worth the queue, the food you can't skip, and the neighbourhood walks that show you the place.
Top spots in Santiago
Barrio Lastarria
CultureLastarria
Café-and-bookshop strip with art-house cinema + GAM cultural centre.
Sky Costanera
CultureProvidencia
Tallest building in South America — 360° Andes view.
Cajón del Maipo
OutdoorsPre-cordillera
Day trip to thermal pools and El Yeso reservoir, 90 min from downtown.
Cerro San Cristóbal
OutdoorsBellavista
Funicular up — Virgen statue, panoramic deck, mote con huesillo at the top.
Mercado Central
Food & DrinkCentro
Wrought-iron fish market — order conger eel chowder at Donde Augusto.
Where to eat
Boragó
$$$$Contemporary Chilean · Vitacura
Rodolfo Guzmán's foraging-driven 'endémica' tasting — Latin America's 50 Best.
Liguria Bellavista
$$Bistro · Providencia
Lomo a lo pobre and pisco sours, walls plastered with Chilean memorabilia.
Salvador Cocina y Café
$$Chilean · Centro
Lunch-only spot championing Chilean ingredients, daily menu only.
Peumayén Ancestral Food
$$$Indigenous Chilean · Bellavista
Tasting platter spanning Rapa Nui, Mapuche, Aymara cuisines.
Frequently asked
- Standouts right now: Cerro San Cristóbal, Barrio Lastarria, Mercado Central. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Santiago and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.