Weddingbee Blog

Yeah baby! I might not like my hometown on daily basis (but that’s just because I would rather live in the middle of nowhere… hehe), but last December, when Mr. Poodle visited me here in Chile, I got the chance to fall in love all over again with my pretty but sometimes too-much-of-a-city Santiago!

{ Image Source }

Just follow that sign!! It will take you to the Santiago airport ” Arturo Merino Benítez - SCL” this will be for most of you travelers, the first Chilean land you will step on.

Review:

Santiago has a mild Mediterranean climate: relatively hot dry summers (December - March) but my personal recommendation is to visit during spring (September - December) or Autumn (March - July) if you’re not used to hot, dry weather. Spring is really beautiful in Santiago and it’s not hot, but not cold, and everything is blooming all around you. Love it!

Only 8% of Chileans speak English, so most of you will need to learn some of the language basics to get around. Of course you can always hire a translator/guide, or take some quick Spanish classes while on your honeymoon. But, if you’d rather not, then here some resources for you before you face Chile.

• The Basics of Spanish
• 10 thing to know about Chile
• Review Culture, Customs and Etiquette - Chile

{ This is a classic view on a clear day from one of the highest points in
Santiago: Cerro San Cristobál. - Image Source }

{ View of the “Mapocho” - this river crosses Santiago, it is 110 km long and flows
from the Andes mountain range to the west - Image Source }

Where to stay-

Santiago has a really wide offering, from really nice hotels like:

• Grand Hyatt
• Sheraton
• Ritz Carlton
• Santiago Park Plaza
• Radisson

to normal and economic alternatives.

How to get around-

If you’re staying in downtown Santiago, you don’t really need to rent a car and I would totally recommend that you use the “Metro” (subway) because you can pretty much go everywhere on it—after all, Santiago is not that big.

• Public Transportation
• Biking around on your own?
• Rent a Car
• Driving and Traffic Laws
• Getting to the Airport

{”La Moneda” subway station - Image Source }

{ Left Image Source - On the right you can see Mr. Poodle rocking the Metro! }

Another really fun way to get to see all the different places, especially in spring and summer (September - March) is “La bicicleta verde” (The Green Bike). This is a very complete and fun tour that covers most of the cool, historical and REALLY Chilean places.

In Santiago, there are a wide range of tours offered. Some examples are:

• Wine Tour
• Golf Tour
• Human Rights Legacy Tour
• Pablo Neruda Poetic Vision Tour (This is one of my personal favorites)
• Shopping Traditional Tour to the “Pueblito Los Dominicos” - Web Page here
• Gravespotting? This is kind of weird, though!

Places to visit-

Plaza de Armas: This is the historical heart of Santiago and is great for people watching. Dominated by the commanding 18th century Catedral Metropolitana, the square is usually bustling with tourists, portrait painters, “organilleros“, shoe shine boys, street musicians, and old men playing chess under the shade of tall palm trees.

{The center of the “Plaza de Armas” - Image Source }

{ An example of the architectural contrast in downtown Santiago,
On the right, the Santiago Cathedral - Image Source }

{ Left and Center: Bolsa de Comercio, it’s like our “New York” street,
Right: across the street from my dear College, Universidad de Chile }

La moneda: The presidential palace (it’s like a small White House), is a few blocks southwest of the Plaza de Armas. It was the largest building erected by the Spanish Crown in its colonies during the 18th century. President Allende was killed there during the 1973 coup led by General Pinochet. And now, after a huge remodeling, the Government built a great Cultural Center underneath it.

{ Left: Mr. Poodle couldn’t resist, he had to try to pick up our flag.
Right: The top view of the “Centro Cultural Palacio La Modeda” }

Santa Lucia Hill : It’s about a 10 minute walk from our Government House, and a perfect place to enjoy lush gardens, a panoramic viewpoint, monuments, and a taste of Santiago’s history. During summer, the area of the “mirador” (panoramic point) becomes a stage for theater plays and concerts.

{ Left: Us at the entrance - Right: One of the very first structures built on the hill }

{ Panoramic view of the middle height point of “Cerro Santa Lucia”}

Cerro San Cristobal: It is an 860m hill in the center of the city. This is the home of the Santiago Zoo and “Teleferico“. It has the best view of the city. Walk up to the top or take the funicular railway which leaves from the station at the north end of Pío Nono.

{ Left: The monument for Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception monument is one of the major attractions of Cerro San Cristobal. You can see it from most places in the city of Santiago. There is a small outdoor chapel under the monument - Right: Us again with the “Fuente Alemana” monument behind us as we were walking to San Cristobál }

{Us at the top of the hill - If you remember, here is where we took this picture -
and that dress I’m wearing was my last project before starting my wedding dress!}

Mercado Central : Even thought it smells like fish, this is the best place in Santiago (and my personal favorite) to get fresh seafood. The name was perhaps from the good old days, but today, “Mercado Central” is a group of restaurants between fish shops, set in an architectural wonder. The outer ring contains myriads of butcher shops. Seafood shops are piled high with fresh local catch inside the main building. But the real attractions are the restaurants in the central area.

{ Front view of the building - Image Source and map }

{The view of the inside shops - Image Source }

Estadio Nacional: Soccer fan, anyone? The Chileans love of soccer is developed from their very early years. soccer is the biggest sport in Chile, like most of the world (but not so much in the US though, I’ve noticed).

Okay, I need to add that I don’t like soccer just because it’s such a huge deal here. There aer some unfriendly relationships between the teams. But I am a huge fan of going to Chile vs. “other country” games—it’s SO MUCH fun! And you get to see the whole stadium of people wearing red, white and blue—it’s our very own 4th of July! LOL

{ The “Estadio Nacional” - Image Source }

Where to eat:

• Como agua para Chocolate - Honeymoon dinner? Ohh… you HAVE to go to this restaurant. It’s one of the most romantic places to eat, and the interior is just as lovely and tasty as the food.
• Akarana - Really cool and great mix of food! I am not the only one that thinks that you know?
• Plaza Ñuñoa - This is not a restaurant, but an area close to downtown Santiago, and it offers cool little restaurant and bars. The atmosphere there is great! It’s one of my favs.
• Want more places? Check this out. They have a great list! I love them all.

What to eat:

• Pastel de Papas
• Pastel de Choclo
• Sopaipillas
• Porotos granados
• Humitas
• Chorrillana
• Empanadas
• Cazuela
• Ceviche
• There are also always good vegetarian options.

{ “Porotos Granados” Image Source }

{ “Pastel de Choclo” - Image Source }

Outside of Santiago -

Want to travel a little outside Santiago?

• Skiing & Snowboarding
• Surfing
• Hiking

Well, that’s it for now! if you need any more advice/help, feel free to just PM me. I hope you can come and visit! Now I feel like I’m going to miss it here once I’m gone!

As Miss Labrador would say, “Reporting live from Santiago Chile, this is Miss Poodle!”

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See all the posts in the Honeymoon in my Hometown Series here!