ExpressGuide: Santiago de Chile

WRITTEN BY Mark Chesnut

Fast City Guides for Time-Pressed Travelers
1. STAY: Hotel Aubrey http://www.theaubrey.com/ (expensive; luxury boutique hotel set in historic mansion, in walkable Bohemian neighborhood); W Santiago http://www.starwoodhotels.com (expensive; trendy hotel in good neighborhood); Ah Hotel http://www.ahhotel.cl/ (inexpensive hotel with bright decorative flair, located in the center of the city)
2. EAT & DRINK: El Galeón http://www.elgaleon.cl/ (inexpensive restaurant in the historic Mercado Central); Mestizo (expensive stylish Chilean cuisine); also cheap outdoor cafes in Bohemian Bellavista district.
3. SHOP: Parque Arauco http://www.parquearauco.cl/ (large upscale shopping mall with international as well as local designers); crafts market across the street from Cerro Santa Lucía (inexpensive souvenirs and handicrafts)
4. DO: Must-sees for first-timers include a visit to the Palacio La Moneda, the government palace that now includes a large cultural museum called the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda http://www.ccplm.cl/ ; a stroll through Cerro Santa Lucia, the historic park where the city was founded in 1540, and a tour of La Chascona http://www.fundacionneruda.org/ , the quirky former residence of Pablo Neruda, Chile’s most celebrated writer.
5. MORE: Turismo Chile: http://www.turismochile.travel (official tourism organization for Chile); Revolver Santiago http://www.santiagomagazine.cl/ (English-language online magazine about arts, culture, music, activities)
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