Best Areas to Stay in Santiago, Chile

Providencia is one of the most popular districts of Santiago, thanks (in large part) to its many leisure options.

This lively Santiago area includes the Cerro de San Cristóbal (San Cristóbal Hill), ideal for cycling or walking and enjoying the best panoramic views of the city.

Providencia also has the largest commercial and business complex in Santiago: The Costanera Center, with stores, movie theaters, restaurants and all kinds of entertainment within a set of four buildings, including the 300-meter-high Santiago Tower.

This area is connected to the rest of Santiago by bus and lines 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the metro. In addition, it is a safe and pedestrian-friendly area.

Providencia is one of the best areas to stay in Santiago de Chile if you want to stay close to the important attractions of the city, but without the chaos of downtown Santiago. Its nightlife is another of the many reasons to stay in this district.

The Lastarria neighborhood is the hipster and bohemian epicenter of Santiago, with cobblestone streets and European-inspired architecture that make it a very charming area.

Walking through Lastarria is like going back in time or entering an oasis in the busy and noisy center of Santiago. Among its cultural attractions are the Museum of Fine Arts, El Biográfo (a cinema dedicated to independent films) and the Cultural Center Gabriela Mistral.

The Forest Park with its exclusive pedestrian streets and its beautiful landscapes is another reason to stay in this neighborhood, as well as its restaurants and bars with large collections of wine to taste.

In addition, Lastarria can be accessed easily, using the Santiago metro.

Lastarria is one of the best areas to stay in Santiago, Chile if you would like to discover the less mainstream side of the Chilean capital.

Santiago Centro (also known as Downtown Santiago or Santiago City Center) is the historic base of the Chilean capital and, at the same time, the most visited area of the city.

Several of the buildings in this district still preserve some of the colonial features of early Santiago, which makes it an mandatory stop during your stay.

When it comes to attractions in this area, the Palacio de la Moneda, the Colonial Museum, the National Historical Museum and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art stand out. Similarly, the Plaza de Armas and the Fantasilandia Amusement Park are also iconic places of downtown Santiago.

On the other hand, if you want to taste the best typical Chilean cuisine, the Central Market, a Historical Monument of Chile, is the place to go.

Because it is an area with such significant historical level, the city center connects with the rest of Santiago by lines 1, 2, 5 and 6 of the metro.

Santiago Centro is one of the best areas to stay in Santiago, Chile, to fully understand the Chilean heritage.

Las Condes is probably the most exclusive district of Santiago, with high-end hotels and stores with the latest trends, ideal for those who want to shop in the Chilean capital and have a larger budget.

However, the main reason to stay in Las Condes is that it is the area indicated for business travelers or those who want to ski during the winter of Santiago since it is closer to La Cordillera than other neighborhoods in the city.

Las Condes is also home to Parque Araucano and the Cerro Calán Observatory, open during the night to, if the weather and the odds are on your favor, see the stars using telescopes.

To move to other areas of Santiago, Chile, Las Condes has metro line 1 and several stations just a few steps away from each other.

Las Condes is one of the best areas to stay in Santiago, Chile if you are looking for tranquility during your stay, but without getting too far from the main attractions of the city.

The area of Recoleta was known in the past as “La Chimba” and contains in its perimeter Bellavista, another of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santiago par excellence, with several theaters, art galleries and cultural options that attract hipsters, artists and all kinds of urban tribes.

It is in this neighborhood where you’ll find La Chascona, the old house of the writer Pablo Neruda that, currently, works as a museum and attracts hundreds of visitors who want to know more about his lifestyle.

In the surroundings of La Recoleta and Bellavista, you can also find the most original souvenirs, with crafts fairs, jewelry and ornaments made of lapis lazuli, a beautiful blue stone that is only available in Chile and Argentina.

This area of Santiago is connected to the rest of the city by line 2 of the metro.

Recoleta and Bellavista are among the best areas to stay in Santiago de Chile if you want to know the alternative scene of the city.