Not so long ago, Santiago was a city snubbed. It was sour and smoggy, boring and busy. In fact, there was little reason to stop on Santiaguino soil, other than to change planes and jet off to the ice fields of Patagonia.
But after a decade-long makeover — spurred in part by $60-million from the World Bank — Santiago is ready for its close-up (just in time for tomorrow's presidential election). An expanded subway system, better roads and acres of green space have made the city infinitely more appealing. The affluent barrio of Las Condes features five-star hotels, boutiques and a sexier-than-thou restaurant scene — as well as dozens of colourful horse statues, part of a year-long artistic project. In the historic districts, meanwhile, crumbling landmarks are being restored. And from January to March, with Chilean summer at its peak, there's no better time to visit. What's coming up
Until Feb. 26 at the Estacion Mapocho (Plaza de la Cultura; 56 (2) 361 1761; estacionmapocho.cl), an autobiographical exhibit chronicles the century-long transformation of this former train station into Santiago's premier cultural centre. Also on show, Diversity, by Argentine photographer Pablo Godoy, is a collection of 35 snapshots taken in the city's Parque Forestal (Forest Park).
Ninety minutes west of Santiago by car, the beach town of Vina Del Mar hosts Derby Day on Feb. 5, marking the highlight of Chile's equestrian calendar (Valparaiso Sporting Club, Avenida Los Catanos 404; 56 (3) 265 5610). Some spectators pay homage to England's Royal Ascot, donning bowler hats and traditional race-going finery.
Back in town, the Good Morning Santiago show at the Quinta Normal Contemporary Art Museum (Matucana 464, Metro Quinta Normal; mac.uchile.cl) is being dubbed "An Exhibition as an Expedition." Running until Jan. 22, it features portable modern pieces by 14 international artists who packed up and moved to Santiago at the request of the museum's two Swiss curators.
Diversions
Bounded by the Mapocho River to the north, the Pan-American Highway to the west and the Alameda (downtown's main drag) to the south, Santiago Centro is the city's triangular core. While Centro's pedestrian malls — Paseo Ahumada, Paseo Huerfanos, and Paseo Estado — are a dizzying mess of chain stores and fast-food joints, the area's true charms are its leafy squares and colonial structures. Plaza de Armas is flanked by the 18th-century Municipalidad de Santiago (town hall) and the exquisite Catedral Metropolitana. Tree-lined Plaza de la Constitucion offers a prime vantage of Palacio de La Moneda, the former presidential residence that was bombed during Augusto Pinochet's military coup in 1973 (it has since been restored).
Well-heeled Santiaguinos shop in Vitacura, a ritzy enclave in the city's easternmost zone. Along Alonso de Cordova and Nueva Costanera avenues, posh labels such as Bang & Olufsen, Hermès and Louis Vuitton are interspersed with local boutiques and quaint art galleries. Wool (4010 Avda. Nueva Costanera, local No. 1; 56 2 208 8767; www.alfombraswool.com) can ship rugs made-to-order in natural, dyed sheep or llama wool anywhere in the world. Chantal Bernsau (3102 Avda. Alonso de Cordova; 56 2 494 8955; www.chantalbernsau.cl) peddles baubles made from semi-precious gems and fossils. Sculptures and futuristic installations by up-and-coming local artists are on show at Galeria Animal (3105 Alonso de Cordova, 56 2 371 9090; www.galeriaanimal.com).
Famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda housed his mistress and eventual third wife, Matilde Urrutia, in La Chascona (0192 Fernando Marquez de la Plata; 56 2 777 8741; www.fundacionneruda.org). The quirky abode contains knick-knacks, paintings and Bauhaus furniture that Neruda collected throughout his travels. His 1971 Nobel Prize medal is also on display. Hour-long guided tours are free.
Where to stay
