Santiago Things to Do Tips by divadsirrah

For a human scale view of Santiago and the Andes go visit Santa Lucia park.
Santa Lucia, is the hill where Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago by building a small fort on this hill in 1541. Begin your journey into the park on Alemeda street, spend some time at Neptunes plaza, (my postcard picture). I'm told there is an amphitheater where concerts are held. In my haste to cover many sights I missed it : ( .
On a clear day, after the rain, the Andes make a grand backdrop to any photograph.

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Directions: Santa Lucia is east of the main downtown area - off Santa Lucia Street to the west, the Alameda to the south Subercaseaux Street to the east. There is an elevator for those who can't make the climb to

Stop by the Santiago house of the 1971 Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda.
The house, La Chascona, named for his third wife's mane of hair, is one of the 3 houses owned by Neruda that have been converted to museums. I'ts not really a house, it's more like a bunch of rooms that are connected by gardens. Imagine walking between rooms but having to go outside in the rain to get to the kitchen. Photography is not permited inside the rooms, the guide did allow me to shoot one room from outside the window. The pictured room is the one where he relaxed with his mistress. Make sure you check out the many postcards Pablo collected from his journeys around the world. To get an idea of Mr. Neruda rent the Italian movie movie 'Il Postino', he is portrayed as a central charactor in the movie.

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Directions: The house is located in the Bellavista neighborhood.
Other Contact: Pablo Neruda died of leukemia in