Airport Details
Airport Full Name
Santiago International
IATA Code
SCL
Location:
The airport is situated 13 miles (21km) north west of
Santiago.
Airport Facilities
Facilities at this extremely well equipped airport include Business and Internet Centres, bureaux de change, banks and ATMs, duty-free shops as well as a variety of other retail stores, restaurants, cafes and bars, a post office, tourist information, travel agencies and hotel reservations. There are also plenty of children's play areas available.
Transfers
Several bus services leave regularly for the city centre. Official airport taxis are also available from outside international and domestic arrivals.
Contact
Tel: +56 (0)2 690 1752/3.
Climate Details (C)
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
| Min | 11 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Max | 28 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 27 |
Travel Guides: Santiago
General Information
The towering Andes provide an awesome backdrop for the sprawling Chilean metropolis of Santiago. The population of this flat urban stage that spreads out from a compact city centre numbers more than five million. Despite this, a small town atmosphere prevails downtown where friends will more than likely meet and greet each other in the overcrowded streets and bustling walkways of the main commercial district.
The city is a curious mix of skyscrapers and 19th-century European architecture, with some Spanish adobe bungalows thrown in for good measure. Threaded through this architectural tapestry are numerous green areas, busy markets, and quaint old squares. Street life is vibrant, and adding to the vibe is the presence of numerous chic sidewalk cafes, outside of which traditionally dressed women hawk their wares hoping to catch the eye of the tourists. There are also some small but impressive museums, several modern hotels, excellent restaurants and some good shopping opportunities in the Ahumada and Huerfanos pedestrian malls.
Santiago exudes an aura of health and wealth in the inner city and fashionable suburbs, despite the shabby shantytowns stretching out from behind the skyscraper facade. The city is also one of the 10 most severely polluted cities in the world, thanks to its position in a bowl of mountains. It is nevertheless an excellent base in which to spend a relaxing few days taking excursions to the wineries, national parks and ski areas, which are all within easy reach of the city.
Getting Around
Public transport in Santiago is both efficient and practical for tourists. The Metro de Santiago is an easy and efficient way to get around in Santiago at a reasonable price and services most places of interest. MetroBuses serve the Metro stations to act as an extension to the rail system. Competing private companies run Santiago's many minibuses ( micros), drivers working on a commission basis dependant on collecting as many fares as possible. Buses tend to race each other chaotically through the city's main streets and can be a dangerous option. Quicker and more comfortable are the colectivos, which have fixed routes and can take five passengers. They look like regular taxis, but display their route on the roof. Taxis can be hailed on any street corner, or radio taxis can be called to the door. Taxis are relatively inexpensive. Driving in Santiago is not recommended due to heavy congestion and limited parking.
Activities
Cerro San Cristóbal, Santiago
Cerro San Cristóbal is a 2,752-foot (860m) hill jutting out of the city and on a clear day affords magnificent views of the surrounds and across to the Andes. The easiest way to the top is by funicular, but there is also a teleférico (cable car), bus or a path leading up from the bottom through the forested slopes. There are many walkways and at the summit is the 70-foot (22m) high statue of the Virgin Mary to mark where the Pope held a mass in 1987. There is also a small zoo, picnic sites and an outdoor swimming pool. The cerro is situated within the Santiago's biggest open space, Parque Metropolitano, and is a peaceful place, an escape from the never-ending noise of traffic in the city below.
Getting There:
Metro to Pedro de Valdivia or Baquedano
Opening Times:
Park: Daily 8:30am-9pm. Zoo: Tuesday to Sunday
10am-5pm.Funicular: Monday 1pm-8:30pm; Tuesday to Friday
10am-8:30pm; Saturday 10am to 9pm.
Admission:
Zoo: Ch$3,000. Funicular round trip: Ch$1,600.
Concessions available.
Mercado Central, Santiago
Santiago's colourful Mercado Central, housed in an 1872 wrought iron structure, has a fruit and vegetable market as well as a buzzing fish market where an assortment of glistening fish is packed onto the tables. Mussels, oysters and clams sit in buckets among an unidentifiable variety of crustaceans and tentacled creatures. The fishmongers demonstrate their skill at gutting and filleting amid a cacophony of frenzied buying. The best time to visit is at lunchtime when a delicious sampling of the wares can be enjoyed in the happily chaotic atmosphere of the central hall.
Getting There:
Metro to Puente Cal y Canto
Opening Times:
Daily from 6am to 4pm.
Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian Art, Santiago
Spanning 4,500 years and about 80 pre-Colombian civilisations of South America the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (Chilean Museum of Pre-Colombian Art) is a fascinating place to spend a few hours. Located in the old Royal Customs House, the exhibit displays are well lit and beautifully arranged throughout four rooms set around a central courtyard. The collection provides an informative insight into the cultures of the Incas, Mayans, Aztecs and other once proud civilisations of the continent, illustrating their artistic diversity.
Getting There:
Metro to Plaza de Armas
Opening Times:
Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm. Free guided tours are
offered Tuesday to Friday at 1pm and 5pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm
(advance registration required)
Admission:
Ch$6,000
Plaza de Armas, Santiago
The Plaza de Armas is both the heart of Santiago and the historical centre, a square hemmed in by impressive Spanish colonial public buildings, including the 18th-century Cathedral and elaborate main post office that was once the Spanish governors' residence. The square became the hub of administrative, commercial and social life when the city was founded in 1541 and today it remains the centre of life in the city. Never a dull place to be by day with its constant activity and throngs of people entertained by buskers and local artists, the evenings are just as lively when passers-by can become embroiled in chess games on temporary tables set up under the trees.
Getting There:
Metro to Plaza de Armas
Wine Country, Santiago
Chilean wine enjoys a good reputation with sommeliers all around the world, with its popularity soaring in the last decade. Central Chile's Mediterranean climate is ideal for vineyards, and some of the best wine comes from the Central Valley, around Santiago. Wine tasting tours are a popular attraction in Santiago, and there are many wineries to choose from. Valle de Maipo, Valle de Casablanca and Valle de San Antonio are the closest to the city, and there are nearly 30 wineries alone in Valle de Maipo. Wine country in Chile stretches for many miles along the coast however, from Valle de Elqui in the north to Valle de Malleco in the south.
Wine country is an especially beautiful region in the summer, and it is possible to hire bicycles to tour the area. Some groups of wineries have banded together to offer established tours along 'wine routes', of which the Colchagua Valley is the most popular. Many tour operators in Santiago offer wine tasting packages as well.
