Cruises from Valparaiso - Santiago

Santiago sits in the middle of the Santiago Basin, a large bowl-shaped valley including expansive and rich plains, which are surrounded by mountains. It is one of the most modern cities in the region and is home to almost 5,000,000 people. It is anchored by the main chain of the Andes to the east and the Chilean Coastal Range to the west.

There are a lot of diverse activities for travellers coming to Santiago. Being nestled at the base of the Andes offers the adventurous holiday maker an almost endless list of adrenaline fuelled activities. Why not try cycling through the regions stunning Lake District or hiking across Chiles many deserts, lakes, volcanoes, and glaciers. In addition to all of this, the main South American ski centres are only 60km away, and the gorgeous Pacific beaches are within an hour`s drive to the Northwest. Just south of Santiago you can sample wine from the esteemed vineyards in the Maipo Valley, which is fast becoming know as one of the world’s finest wine producing areas.

As with the majority of South American cities, Santiago is full of history and outstanding architecture. The Plaza de Armas is Santiago`s lovely city centre. Historical buildings are situated around the plaza including the Cathedral; the Arch Bishop`s Palace, City Hall, the Central Post Office, and the National History Museum.

To sample the local life and especially the local cuisine, there is no better place than the Bellavista neighbourhood, which is home to many restaurants, bars, and cafes. The cuisine here is heavily seafood based; this is due to Chile’s massive coastline. So expect to eat a lot of clams, mussels, sea urchins, Chilean sea bass, and abalone, which are all usually served with rice. There are many other must see places in the city such as the Parque Metropolitano. Known as Santiago`s playground, it offers many beautiful walking trails, picnic areas, and a zoo. Santa Lucia Hill presents exquisite gardens and promenades and various European and Chilean art is exhibited at The Palace of Fine Arts. For some perfect photo opportunities you can catch a bus to the top of Cerro San Cristòbal, where the views of the city are simply outstanding.

The Santiago nightlife is very much based on the simplicity of the pub scene, though there are several discos. Entertainment in its many bars is usually based around live music, with many of them boasting jazz bands while others prefer the more mellow sound of an acoustic guitar. Going to the theatre is also big in Santiago, it will help if you speak Spanish, but if you don’t just taking in the atmosphere is an exhilarating experience.

A Mediterranean climate is what you will find in Santiago. Summers are hot and dry while winters are mild and moist. Summer temperatures can hit as high as 30°C, while the winter average around 10°C. The majority of rain is received during the winter. Heavy pollution occurs in the winter months as a result of smog caused by temperature inversions being trapped in the valley.