Latin America: 24 hours in Santiago

WHILE Santiago lacks the ‘must-see’ factor of famous South American cities like Rio and Buenos Aires, it’s a stop-off point for most itineraries covering Chile’s natural attractions such as Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia or the Atacama Desert.

Slap-bang in the Central Valley, fringed by the snow-capped Andes, it’s a modern city with a European feel and – smog permitting – great views.

Travellers who visit during January (Chile’s summer) can sample various festivals and performances during the city’s Teatro a Mil season.

For longer stays, a visit to Valparaiso – Chile’s second-largest city, with winding cobbled streets – or Viña del Mar – with fabulous beaches and delicious seafood restaurants – (both less than an hour from Santiago) are recommended.

As most itineraries include at least a day in Santiago, it pays to know where to go. Follow Travel Weekly’s guide to spending 24 hours in Chile’s capital.

08:30: if it’s a clear morning, the best way to get a bird’s-eye view of Santiago is from Cerro San Cristóbal, a huge hill northeast of the centre, reachable by funicular railway (Che Guevara and companion Alberto take the railway in the film The Motorcycle Diaries) or cable car. For £2 you can buy a combo ticket allowing travel on both. Another vantage point is Cerro Santa Lucia for views of the Andes to the east and the Pacific Highway to the west.

09:30: La Chascona, former home of Chile’s Nobel Prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda, is now a museum (Museo Neruda) dedicated to his life and work. Located on Calle A. Márquez de la Platta, tours run daily and entry is £2.

Two other museums are well worth a visit – the Museo de Santiago on Casa Colorada documents the capital’s history (entry £1), while the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombrio on Bandera 361 tells the story of pre-Columbian civilisation (entry £2).

10:30: for a cheap mid-morning snack, choose from the selection on one of the street stalls. Chileans love their sandwiches, and a ‘completo’ – meaning ‘with everything’ – is a good deal, containing meat, cheese, salsa, relish and avocado for less than £1.

11:00: as well as traditional crafts at the daily Bellavista market, there is a huge US-style shopping mall in Las Condes, while Los Leones, on Calle Providencia, has chic and swanky boutiques. Two good weekend markets are the craft market on Plaza de Armas and the flea market at Mercado Franklin. For something (almost) uniquely Chilean, buy lapis lazuli jewellery, a dark-blue semi-precious stone found only in Chile and Argentina.

12:30: Santiago has everything from fast food to Italian, Japanese, vegetarian and Middle Eastern fare. Lunch is a bigger deal than dinner – many restaurants are packed to the brim between midday and 2pm, but are much quieter in the evenings.

For food on the go, The Food Garden in Galeria Imperio on Agustinas has fast-food stands. For more traditional fare, El Puente de Bórquez, on Miraflores 443 sells ceviche (raw fish covered in lemon and lime juice) and other South American dishes with set menus from £3 to £5.

15:00: Santiago’s a stone’s throw from some of Chile’s best wineries. One of the best is Concha y Toro, the country’s oldest and largest vineyard, in Pirque, 12 miles south, which was founded in 1883. English language tours take place at 11.30am and 3pm on weekdays and 10am and noon on Saturdays and cost £3 including tastings.

18:30: work off all that wine with a wander around the Paseo Ahumada, a pedestrian mall with street buskers and stalls selling trinkets and crafts.

20:00: the ‘barrios’ (neighbourhoods) of Brasil, Bellavista and Providencia are the best bets for dinner. They can be pricey, but in Bellavista there are cheaper restaurants in Purisima. If money is no object try the Camino Real on Cerro San Cristóbal, with views over the city lights

22:30: the Providencia neighbourhood has US-style bars, full of ex-pats and professionals. For something more traditional, many of the restaurants and cafés in Bellavista have live music after 11pm. Club 4-40 on Santa Filomena 81 in Bellavista has salsa until the small hours, as does Venezzia, which was a favourite haunt of Neruda, while Heaven, on Recoleta 345, is very trendy (entry £4).