Last Week in Chile: Punta Arenas, Santiago, & Valparaiso

Punta Arenas

The bus ride from Puerto Natales south to Punta Arenas takes roughly three hours. Punta Arenas is a pretty standard, required stop if you are coming or going from Santiago to Chilean Patagonia due to an airport. It is also a popular starting point for trips to Antarctica. Punta Arenas is designated as the largest city south of the 46th parallel south. It was started off as a fort, then later became a penal colony. Eventually sheep farming took hold and combined with being a safe harbor for ships rounding South America grew into a city. Immigration is a huge part of the history with Spanish and Croatian immigrants in particular being represented which made for a surprising mix of names on display at the cemetery.

Lodging, Food, and Things to (Maybe) Do

We stayed at Hostal Adventura Austral which was a quality lodging option. The hostel is secure, well-maintained, simple and clean, and run by an incredibly friendly local family. The breakfast is carefully prepared and the family is happy to give you suggestions for Punta Arenas and help arrange transport as needed. The hostel is also in easy walking distance of the Mirador Cerro De La Cruz (city overlook) and downtown area, although we recommend taking the street directly below the overlook for a less sketchy walk to get there.

Punta Arenas has a seedy vibe with a surprising number of strip clubs and a lot of people making out in the streets, although I guess the latter seemed pretty common in Santiago too. It is also home to the worst restaurant we ate at during our trip. Avoid La Divina Cocina unless you want tart ceviche and overpriced seafood chowder. At least we didn’t get food poisoning. The Fusiones Gastrobar was better fare and located in a brick-walled upper floor. It gets points simply for being a clean, well-lighted placed in a dingy, dark town. Seriously. The pictures make Punta Arenas look a lot nicer than it is or maybe we just had a generally sour experience minus our wonderful hostel.

Penguin tours are a popular activity here, but are frequently cancelled due to high winds. Make sure you clarify about refunds, as many companies do not offer refunds for weather. We booked through Comapa Turismo which is located downtown and whose office staff are unfriendly and bored (maybe because they live in Punta Arenas). Comapa is only a booking company which sells tours for the actual boat company called Austral Broom, who has larger boats which theoretically decrease your chances of a cancellation. You pay for your own transport out & back to the pier (which is rather inexpensive with a shared taxi), but the biggest pro is that if the tour cancels you can get a refund with whichever company you booked with…

But if your penguin tour gets cancelled and the weather is shit (I mean, with wind that is actually blowing down street signs as you walk by), then there isn’t much to do other than get your refund. We went to the Cementerio Municipal which isn’t nearly as impressive as Recoleta in Buenos Aires, but still quite beautiful. There are some okay plazas and monuments around the town, but I was too bored to bother learning their significance. Not unlike the US, they celebrate heroes of the revolution as well as European explorers like Magellan. There are some pretty street murals on the buildings along the coast. Apparently you can tour the Austral Brewery which was the southernmost brewery in the world (recently another opened up in Ushuaia), unfortunately they were closed on the weekend when we were in town. We did enjoy their beers which are distributed all over Chile. We walked about in the wind and avoided the seedy looking “nightclubs” and the local chapter of the Hells Angels (they had a sign out front), then we took a nap because we were out of ideas.

The airport is out of town and requires a taxi drive. The airport security is comical and Sky Airlines is another topic entirely. But, hey, we made it in one piece to Santiago!

Santiago

Santiago de Chile is a place I’ve always been intrigued with maybe because of Isabel Allende books. While Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America, Santiago is perhaps the “generic US city number 3” of South America. That might sound a bit harsh, we had a perfectly pleasant stay in Santiago! For what it lacks in character, it makes up for in pisco sours, Peruvian sandwiches (I know this is Peruvian, but…), more ceviche, affordable lodging options, delightfully hot temperatures, and city parks. There are endless activity options right outside of the city as well…

View of the city from Cerro San Cristobal. There are mountains, you just can’t see them very well in the summer haze!

Getting around: The city bus (Centropuerto) from the airport to Los Heroes station takes roughly 45 minutes and costs less than $3 one-way (or 1800 CLP) per person. The bus will make multiple stops, but if you put any luggage underneath the bus you won’t be able to retrieve it until the Los Heroes stop. From the Los Heros stop, it is easy to find an Uber to get to your destination. The metro is relatively easy to figure out as well.

*Pro-tip: If you are arriving late at night it is probably safer and more convenient to pre-arrange transport. I would not want to be around Los Heroes or any of the other bus stations at night. Even in the day, make sure to be cautious with your belongings. The bus stations are crowded and it would be easy to be pick pocketed.

Ubers are relatively cheap, safe, and recommended by many locals (with the exception of our B&B). Ubers exist in a legal grey area in Chile, so the driver will ask you to sit in the front seat so you appear to be more of a friend than a paying passenger. Everyone we spoke with recommended avoiding taxis in Santiago and there are entire blog posts dedicated to explaining taxi scams. That being said, taxis hate Ubers to the point that you may have to strategically arrange pick-up away from common taxi pick-ups or the Uber driver will simply not stop to avoid confrontations with the taxi drivers.

Lodging

We stayed at DeBlasis B&B located in the upscale & convenient neighborhood of Providencia. This neighborhood was recommended to us by a friend of a friend who is originally from Santiago. Providencia is a walkable distance to many of the activities listed below, a metro station, and numerous restaurants and shops. Make sure to clarify a “B” room at DeBlasis so that you have some privacy and are not resigned to a basement level floor. Fortunately, the staff was friendly & accommodating here with making our room switch and giving advice for Santiago. DeBlasis also offers breakfast that includes fruit, bread, rice cakes, and PEANUT BUTTER! We were so happy.

Food

Food prices vary in Santiago, and food in Providencia is still more $ but not nearly as high as Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales in the south. I had a more difficult time finding healthy and dairy free options in Santiago in general, which resulted in us eating at the same places more than once.

Our favorite was Sangucheria La Gloria which is a Peruvian sandwich shop in Providencia. It seems popular with both locals and tourists, and has street-side outdoor seating like many lunch/dinner joints. I don’t typically even like sandwiches, but these were divine especially in combination with their olive sauce.

I think the Tea Connection is some sort of Chilean chain, but no matter because they actually had some light and healthy (see: vegetables included) lunches. Their orange juice doesn’t sound special, but it really is.

The other chain, which we found all around Santiago including in the bus stations was Panaderia y Pasteleria San Camilo (or just San Camilo). I knew I could count on getting an Ave empanada, which includes some type of bird and olives. Are there better local empanadas? Surely! But we kept striking out in finding anything other than ham and cheese. So, San Camilo was an easy and cheap option.

The side streets in Providencia (near our B&B) were lined with restaurants, most of which served delicious ceviche. I’m sure there are truly excellent options in Santiago, but we just stumbled upon any restaurant with usually good results. Italian food (pastas, etc) seem to be really popular and widely available if that is your thing (not ours). I wouldn’t tell anyone in Chile, but the Peruvian style ceviche was the best.

Activities

We did a lot of walking in Santiago. The various city parks and plazas are lovely, including one with a modest fountain show. The parks also have some gym equipment, so after we decided to buy some running shoes (for a very low price!) we caught up on some running as well. Seems that locals use bikes for transport quite often, similar to Buenos Aires. They are not fond of pedestrians in their way, so try to walk/run with others on the path so you won’t get run over.

Mercado Central (Central Market) is a great place if you like to be yelled at by aggressive waitstaff trying to convince you to eat at their probably overpriced restaurants inside a dark and noisy warehouse. If there was anything to see here of note, we couldn’t enjoy it because the waiters are literally following you around. I paid 500 CLP to use the bathroom and we got the hell out of here. The market is within close walking distance of Plaza de Armas which is a massive, crowded shit show. Needless to say, I disliked both of these places and you might have a better experience with a Chilean local on a tour if you really want to go to either.

Patio Bellavista is a popular tourist destination, but the shops are pricey and the food isn’t all that special. This is another kind of dull tourist trap, although if you walk just a block away there is a more unique art market with vendors. Ryan bought a much-required lapis lazuli penguin wine stopper for half the price of a Patio Bellavista shop at the art market. The nightlife in Bellavista is booming (we got just a glimpse), and apparently a prime location for thieves to rob drunk tourists (I mean, I guess I can’t blame them). We went back to our B&B and had a glass of wine instead.

The hill itself looks entirely underwhelming, but don’t be fooled!

Cerro San Cristobal (San Cristobal hill) is a must-do in Santiago with lovely, albeit hazy, views of the city. Make sure to consult with a local and get a map for the correct directions. We hiked up from Bellavista on a well-marked main trail, however, we were strongly advised against taking any short-cuts or mountain bike trails as tourists are commonly robbed or run over by mountain bikes on those trails. We went down the south central side on a paved road, which is popular with walkers, joggers, and cyclists and we were also told was a safe route. This route pops out near the Costanera center and the iconic glass tower of the same name. Cable cars and funiculars are alternate options, just be aware they are closed on Mondays and jam-packed on weekends. Although it was nice to have quiet, our Monday walk almost seemed too deserted. We went up again on a Thursday evening, and felt even safer since everyone was out recreating.

*Pro-tip: Every guide book and local advice will warn that Mercado Central, Patio Bellavista, and Cerro San Cristobal are common locations for pick pocketing or robbery. Even in upscale Providencia, always be aware of your surroundings and belongings. I was probably too paranoid and kept my phone in the B&B safe, which is why I didn’t take as many photos. Having said that, we generally felt very safe while we stuck to the main paths and daytime hours.

Piscina Tupahue (Tupahue swimming pool) is located on the side of Cerro San Cristobal and closed on Mondays. We arrived late morning and it was already busy, although they will start turning people away in later afternoon if the pool has reached capacity. We had to keep an eye on our belongings (nothing valuable) and the cost was on-par or more $ than US public pools (roughly $8 per person). The only downside was for some mysterious reason they did not allow hats or sunglasses (and the sun here is powerful) while in the water! We got away with sunglasses as long as possible and it was refreshing to cool off for a bit. This was the only time during our entire 3 week trip that we accidentally got sunburnt, which is frankly impressive considering the intense UV rays.

One of the most fun activities was a bicycle & wine tasting day trip just outside of Santiago. There are numerous options, but we opted for the Maipo Valley & Santa Rita wine tastings with the tour company, Turistik. The tour guide, Ignacia, gave commentary in both English & Spanish while we drove out to the winery. There were only four of us (myself & Ryan included) on her bicycle piece of the wine tour, which took us around the winery and eventually to a shady overlook where we were treated to a glass of white wine (comically, from a different winery). Then we returned for a tour and tasting at Santa Rita winery. Our impression is that Santa Rita is rather run-of-the-mill (it’s the second-biggest winery in Chile) The wine, however, is still delicious and we packed our wine glasses all the way back to the US.

Five full days in Santiago was really plenty for us (although again, I loved the weather), so we did end up taking an overnight trip to Valpairaso…

Valparaíso

Valparaiso (or Valpo for short) has quite the history & reputation. Once a bustling and wealthy port city, the completion of the Panama Canal drastically reduced the shipping traffic to Valpo and the city fell into decline. More recently there has been a sort of urban renewal focusing on street arts and tourism that makes it a fascinating place to visit while maintaining the very gritty charm. It’s definitely a work in progress as many parts of the city show the poverty that many residents still struggle with. A superficial review of TripAdvisor reviews will reveal strong opinions, either encouraging tourists to visit or avoid Valpo. The latter includes some stories of robbery by knifepoint in mid-day and tires being slashed at a stoplight only to be robbed afterwards. So, yeah. It is worthwhile researching safety and talking with locals before arriving but we had a really positive experience in Valpo.

*Pro-tip: Valpo is on the coast, so it gets legitimately chilly in the mornings and evenings! Pack accordingly.

*Pro-tip: The Alameda bus station in Santiago (where buses leave for Valpo) and the Valpo station are sketchy at best, so use caution as always. Our Uber drivers gave us the same warnings. I mean, if you’ve been to a Greyhound station in the states, you know to be careful. And once again, the buses in Chile are far superior to Greyhound lines.

Getting Around

Check with locals for safe routes, but walking and use of funiculars is a great way to get around. Buses are best if you know where you are going and you are going with a tour (see below). Similar to Santiago, Ubers seemed to be a safe and reasonable option here, and the Uber drivers were honestly the friendliest that we met anywhere on our travels. We generally felt pretty safe on the main streets and squares, but I would avoid back alleys and remote neighborhoods.

Lodging

We stayed at Hotel Boutique Acontraluz as a sort of splurge. This boutique style hotel is stylish and secure, with private balconies either overlooking the hillside of the city or the port. The staff there was more than welcoming and stored our luggage while we wandered the city. It is located in easy walking distance of all downtown areas and staff can provide a map with directions.

Food

Unfortunately the waitstaff downtown are very aggressive (I mean, this is their livelihood) and the food options seem quite mediocre. The shop labeled “Empanadas” which we were told by a Valpo native was the best was sadly closed on the day we visited. We ended up eating at a Mexican restaurant, which was slightly random, but it was quiet and delicious with an upstairs patio. I’m sure there are great food options here, but we had limited time to explore.

Activities

Tours 4 Tips are tip-only based tours with local guides. The groups were split into both English & Spanish speaking groups. We joined the “Offbeat Valpo Tour” with Felipe. He discussed Valpo’s history, politics, working-class people, difference between street art and graffiti, and more. The tour itself advertises that this is not the tour for people who can’t walk long distances or who are easily offended. You’ll take the “rollercoaster” bus, which takes the route made famous by Che Guevara’s arrival in the movie Motorcycle Diaries, and visit the former prison converted into an arts center. Felipe also gave safety tips for walking the streets of Valpo, so all in all this was a perfect tour for us and we visited places we would not have gone on our own (simply because we didn’t know about them). We highly recommend these tours as the best way to see and learn about Valpo, and then you can explore on your own!

Chile seems to do a very good job of reckoning with some of the darker parts of their past such as the coup and dictatorship of Pinochet as well as recognition of the native peoples indigenous to the area. The former prison which housed many political prisoners tells the story of the bloody coup (which the US was quite supportive of) in a way that takes advantage of the arts in Valparaiso with a focus on national healing that reclaims the site without forgetting the event. I would love to see the US do more of this kind of reconciliation.

Wander the streets and take the funiculars with caution and based on local advice for the best streets and locations to visit. Wander one block off course and you might be in a neighborhood where you may be targeted for robbery. Once again, this is similar to any city anywhere in the world.

You can visit Pablo Neruda’s house, la Sebastiana in Valpo (or a site in Santiago). We went to the site and saw the outside of the house, but the tickets for entry are astronomical and we didn’t feel it was worth the cost. Nearby are some touristy vendors, but hey, still a decent place to find a kitschy Valpo fridge magnet.

You can visit nearby Vina del Mar, which is more of a resort-town, but we didn’t have enough time and we’ve visited resort towns elsewhere in the world.

All in all, we loved the experience of Valpo and would recommending spending a day or two here if you can.