19 Best Sights in Santiago, Chile

This necropolis in the northern part of the city reveals a lot about traditional Chilean society. Through the lofty stone arches of the main entrance are well-tended paths lined with marble mausoleums and squat mansions belonging to Chile's wealthy families. The 8- or 10-story "niches"—concrete shelves housing thousands of coffins—resemble middle-class apartment buildings. Their inhabitants lie here until the rent runs out and they are evicted. Look for former President Salvador Allende's final resting spot; a map at the main entrance to the cemetery can help you find it. Fifty-minute Human Rights Tours in Spanish run weekdays at 6 pm. General tours are weekdays (except Wednesday) by prior arrangement and last 90 minutes. Two 75-minute night tours are available at 8:45 pm for kids and adults. All tours require online reservations and are either free or cost between 4,000 and 6,000 pesos.

This giant cultural center just steps from the Universidad Católica metro houses some of Santiago's most interesting indigenous arts exhibits and offers a packed cultural itinerary, including theater. There is a large atrium between the two halves of the building with a colorful skylight, restaurant, and café. Outside the building, to the north side is an amphitheater that is occasionally used to host events. An antiques market takes place on the west side of the building Tuesday through Saturday, if it's not raining. Tip: A helpful tourism office is located here.

This museum is a powerful testimony to the coup that established the Chilean dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet; the resulting detention, torture, and murder of Chilean citizens; and the country's historic vote to return to democracy. There is a heavy audio-visual component, with moving letters by children about the events of the times. Some images and artifacts here might be challenging for children to process, but it's an important part of Chilean history and arguably the country's best museum. It is just across the street from the Parque Quinta Normal, and there is also an entrance in Quinta Normal metro station. Daily tours in English begin at 11 am, noon, and 3:30 pm; audio guides in several languages are available for 2,000 pesos.

This square has been the symbolic heart of Chile—as well as its political, social, religious, and commercial center—since Pedro de Valdivia established the city on this spot in 1541. The Palacio de los Gobernadores, the Palacio de la Real Audiencia, and the Municipalidad de Santiago front the square's northern edge. The dignified cathedral graces the western side of the square. The plaza has historically been very lively, with chess players in a gazebo, street performers playing in the bandstand, and caricaturists. Recent improvements have increased the number of trees and installed Wi-Fi.

Palacio de la Moneda and other government buildings line Constitution Square, the country's most formal plaza. The changing of the guard takes place every other day at 10 am within the triangle defined by 12 Chilean flags. Adorning the plaza are four monuments, each dedicated to a notable national figure: Diego Portales, founder of the Chilean republic; Jorge Alessandri, the country's leader from 1958 to 1964; Eduardo Frei Montalva, president from 1964 to 1970; and Salvador Allende (1970–73).

Many architects contributed to what is frequently referred to as Santiago's Little Europe, among them Alberto Cruz Montt, Jorge Elton Alamos, and Sergio Larraín. The string of small mansion houses lining the cobbled streets of Calles París and Londres sprang up in the mid-1920s on vegetable patches and gardens once belonging to the convent adjoining Iglesia San Francisco. The three- and four-story town houses are all unique; some have brick facades, while others are done in Palladian style.

Tucked away underneath the Plaza de la Ciudadanía is the Centro Cultural La Moneda, a fantastic arts center that puts on an array of interesting exhibitions and art workshops. It's also home to the national Cineteca, which regularly screens Chilean movies and documentaries (tickets cost 2,500 pesos). The Artesanías de Chile crafts shop there showcases top-quality work, and the Tienda Centro Cultural is a good place to buy unusual souvenirs and jewelry. There's also a restaurant, a café, and a bookshop. 

Housed in what was once the ornate Palacio de los Gobernadores, this building dating from 1715 is one of the most beautiful post offices you are likely to see. It was reconstructed by Ricardo Brown in 1882 after being ravaged by fire and is a fine example of neoclassical architecture, with a glass-and-iron roof added in the early 20th century. It has occasional exhibits in the main hall, plus an extensive collections of stamps from around the world and other postal and telegraph memorabilia in the adjoining Postal and Telegraph Museum (free admission).

This lovely facade on Calle Londres holds dark secrets: Londres 38 was a clandestine torture center for 98 people for three years during Chile's 27-year dictatorship, beginning in 1973. Rooms include a tiny bathroom, where multiple DNA was recovered that helped to identify victims; a video shows the work forensic scientists undertook. Simple signs add to the sad and dignified ambience that holds a torrid past and now plays its part as a space for memory.

At the Central Market you'll find a matchless selection of edible products from the sea. Depending on the season, you might see the delicate beaks of picorocos, the world's only edible barnacles; erizos, the prickly-shelled sea urchins; or heaps of giant mussels. If the seafood doesn't capture your interest, the architecture may: the lofty wrought-iron ceiling of the structure, reminiscent of a Victorian train station, was prefabricated in England and erected in Santiago between 1868 and 1872. Diners are regaled by minstrels in the middle of the market, where a few larger restaurants compete for customers. You can also find a cheap meal at the smaller restaurants around the edge of the market. 

Today's city hall for central Santiago can be found on the site of the colonial city hall and jail. The original structure, built in 1552, survived until a devastating earthquake in 1730. Joaquín Toesca, the architect who also designed the presidential palace and completed the cathedral, reconstructed the building in 1785, but it was destroyed by fire a century later. In 1891, Eugenio Joannon, who favored an Italian Renaissance style, erected the structure standing today. On the facade hangs an elaborate coat of arms presented by Spain. The interior now houses a tourist office as well as a small gallery and souvenir shop. The tourism office runs free tours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 am with no previous registration required.

The elegant Museum of Contemporary Art, set in a classic building, showcases modern Latin American paintings, photography, and sculpture. The museum is run by the art school of Universidad de Chile and isn't afraid to take risks. Look for Fernando Botero's pudgy Caballo (Horse) sculpture out front, and drop in at its café serving gourmet coffee and homemade treats. There is a second location of this museum near Quinta Normal, and a bus-turned-café called Central Placeres or simply La Micro ("the bus," in Chilean slang) parked outside.

The colonial-era Palacio de la Real Audiencia served as the meeting place for Chile's first Congress in July 1811. The building then functioned as a telegraph office before the museum moved here in 1911. It's worth the small admission charge to see the interior of the 200-year-old structure, where exhibits tracing Chile's history from the preconquest period to the 20th century are arranged chronologically in rooms centered on a courtyard. Keep an eye out for Allende's eyeglasses. Ask for the English brochure and free audio guide, and if you are not heights-averse, take a tour up the tower for a bird's-eye view of the Plaza de Armas, cathedral, and downtown Santiago.

Unfortunately, Chile's main fine arts museum now has only a small part of its excellent collection of Chilean paintings on display, confining it to just six small rooms on the first floor. The rest of the museum is given over to temporary exhibitions of varying interest. The elegant, neoclassical building, which was originally intended to house the city's school of fine arts, has an impressive glass-domed ceiling, which illuminates the main hall. Guided tours are available in Spanish only, with reduced schedules in January and February.

Walk through to the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, housed in the same building.

The National Natural History Museum is the centerpiece of Parque Quinta Normal. French architect Paul Lathoud designed the building for Chile's first international exposition in 1875. Damaged by successive earthquakes, the neoclassical structure was rebuilt and enlarged. There are large dioramas of stuffed animals against painted backdrops, descriptions of wrongs committed against indigenous people, and occasionally, paleontologists working in glass-walled exhibits. The skeleton of an enormous blue whale hangs in the central hall, delighting children of all ages. Exhibits are labeled only in Spanish, but audio guides in English are available.

Named for Chile's first president and national hero, whose troops were victorious against the Spanish, this park has plenty of open space for everything from ball games to military parades and a dedicated picnic area complete with barbecues. Street vendors sell volantines (kites) in the park year-round; breezy September and early October comprise prime kite-flying season, especially around September 18, Chile's national holiday. There are pedalcab and rollerblade rentals on weekends, a competitive rollerblade track, and a terrain park with a deep bowl for skateboarders and rollerbladers. The park has a beautiful covered pool, which costs 7,000 pesos for an hour-long pass; goggles and bathing cap are required. Both the Movistar Arena and Cúpola Multiespacio theater are also located at this park.

Santiaguinos come to the Pérgola de las Flores (literally: "gazebo of flowers") markets to buy wreaths and flower arrangements for decoration or to bring to the city's two nearby cemeteries. La Pérgola de las Flores, a famous Chilean musical and movie, is based on the conflict that arose in the 1930s when the mayor of Santiago wanted to shut down the market, which at that time was located near the Iglesia San Francisco on the Alameda; find a chatty florist at one of the two open-air markets—Pérgola San Francisco and Pérgola Santa María, each with about 40 vendors—and you may learn all about it.

A meatpacking district that’s slowing undergoing gentrification, Barrio Franklin hands its streets over to pedestrians and turns into a vast flea market on weekends. Take the metro to Estación Franklin, then start walking down Calle Placer. Here, you can pick up anything from wine to vinyls, vintage clothes, and household supplies from hawkers who have lovingly laid out their wares on a mat on the sidewalk to 300 established storefronts such as antiques dealers located within old warehouses. Check out Factoria Franklin, home to handcraft gin distillery Quintal and AFA Galería art gallery at Franklin 741. There’s also plenty of street food to be enjoyed, from lomito completo sandwiches to small bowls of ceviche. The vibe is relaxed and live bands often perform a set. With plenty to feast your eyes on, as with any busy space, keep an eye on personal belongings.

From fruit to furniture, meat to machinery, these lively markets stock just about anything you can name. Alongside ordinary items you can find delicacies like piñones, giant pine nuts found on monkey-puzzle trees. If you're undaunted by crowds, try a typical Chilean meal in a closet-size eatery, or picada in the Vega Central, chowing down on brothy cazuela (a typical meat and vegetable soup) or a plate of fried fish. For greater selection and a little more space, go to the second floor of the Vega Chica (now called Tirso de Molina) where Chilean, Colombian, Thai, Mexican, and Peruvian food is dished out in large portions at fair prices. As in any other crowded market, be extra careful with your belongings.