how
To Get There
The Aeropuerto Arturo Merino Benítez is approximately 15 miles from downtown Santiago. Cab fare downtown costs about $20. The airport also provides a shuttle service to downtown. A tourist card must be filled upon arrival. US citizens need a visa and are charged a $100 entry fee that must be paid in cash (receipt is valid for the life of the passport). There is a $26 departure tax.
To Get Around
Santiago’s fleet of taxis is a bit old and not always well kept. For newer air-conditioned cars, hire a taxi from your hotel. Most government offices and the financial district are located in the downtown area along Paseo Huérfanos, Calle Nueva York and Paseo Ahumada. Providencia, in the eastern section of the city, is another important financial and commercial district.
where
To Stay
We recommend the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Kennedy 4601, Las Condes, Tel: 562-218-1234, www.hyatt.com) Acknowledged as one of Santiago’s finest hotels, the Hyatt is located in an exclusive residential neighborhood, 20 minutes from the city center and within easy access of Santiago’s international and domestic airports. Hotel Inter-Continental Santiago is another excellent choice (Av. Vitacura 2885, Tel: 562-394-2000, www.interconit.com), conveniently located in the Las Condes district. A recent refurbishment has made the hotel the epitome of luxury.
In May 2003, Ritz Carlton opens its first South American hotel in Santiago, located in the heart of El Golf (El Alcalde 15, Las Condes, Tel: 562-362-9619, www.ritzcarlton.com).
The Ritz Carlton features spectacular views of Santiago and the Andes mountains, and of course, the service and class that distinguishes Ritz Carlton hotels around the world. James Hughes, the hotel’s general manager, says the new Ritz Carlton will have features such as a walk-in humidor, 30 different kinds of cigars and host special events for cigar aficionados.
To Eat
Santiago is filled with great places to dine. Baltazar (Av. Las Condes 10690, Tel: 215-1090) serves contemporary cuisine with a Chilean twist in a carefully restored old adobe stable. The restaurant features a buffet of unusual salads and hors d’oeuvres that playfully combine Indonesian, Japanese, Chinese, Arab, and other flavorings.
A hip atmosphere and elaborate Italian cuisine can be found at Gioia (Isidora Goyehechea 3456, Tel: 335-3610). Agua (Av. Tobalaba 941, Providencia, Tel: 56-2 251-5357) is popular with the business crowd. The modern restaurant specializes in contemporary fish and seafood dishes. Reservations are required. Azul Profundo (Constitucion 111, Tel: 738-0288), famous for its deep blue exterior and evocative of Pablo Neruda’s houses, is another very good seafood restaurant.
To Drink
Fuego (on the second floor of Agua) is a good choice for diversion while Bar Etniko (Constitucion 172, Bellavista, Tel: 56-2 732-0119) has a livelier, more alternative atmosphere. The establishment crowd likes to unwind on the terrace at Los Leones Golf Club (Av. Presidente Riesco 3700, Las Condes).
To Unwind
Santiago is in the middle of Chile’s wine region. The vineyards of Viñas Undarraga, Santa Carolina, Concha y Toro and Cousiño Macul are close to the city. Vineyard tours are a pleasant half-day excursion.
what
To Buy
Lapis lazuli is a semiprecious stone found only in Chile and Afghanistan. Stores located along Avenida Bellavista between Puentes Pio IX and del Arzobispo have the best selection. Chile is also known for its copper products, from household objects to jewelry, available at the Los Dominicos market (Av. Apoquindo 9085, Las Condes).
Premium Chilean wines from any of the aforementioned vineyards are always a good bet, but products from Valdivieso Caballo Loco, which means ‘Crazy Horse,’ are particularly noteworthy. The winery’s proprietor, Jorge Coderch, has introduced a system for winemaking similar to that used in the production of sherry. His sequence of premium wines, designated by numbers, contains multiple vintages. When Caballo Loco No. 5 is released later this year, it will contain wine from at least five previous vintages. Although the amount of older wine becomes gradually smaller, it adds increasingly greater complexity to the wine.