Santiago Travelers Recommend

Despite its location in South America, Santiago has a distinctly European feel, from its neoclassical architecture to its efficient metro system, Santiago is one of South America’s most sophisticated cities and a must-see if you are visiting Chile, even for a short while. A great way to get acquainted with Santiago is to take a city tour. Cruising through the city streets, you’ll notice the varied architectural designs—Santiago’s buildings and monuments are a cavalcade of European styles, especially the Parque Forestal, which is based upon Paris’ Champs-Elysees. The tour finishes up at Los Graneros del Alba, a handicraft village located near the famous church of Los Dominicos. Here you can browse handmade sundries and souvenirs as well as sample Chilean cuisine. As the tour is about 3 ½ hours long, the village is a great stop for a late lunch or early dinner. Either way, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the Chilean capitol’s sights.

One of Chile’s most popular ski resorts, La Parva is located an hour east of Santiago. With 30 slopes and an average snowfall of more than 270 inches (685 centimeters) per year, La Parva offers skiing and snowboarding suitable for all skill levels. Heli-skiing is also offered here for those seeking fresh powder and more of an adrenaline rush. Also roughly an hour east of Santiago (and adjacent to La Parva), Valle Nevado is one of South America’s largest and most modern ski areas. With more than 100 runs at varying skill levels, a terrain park, heli-skiing and an average snowfall of more than 300 inches per year, Valle Nevado is also one of the area’s most popular skiing and snowboarding destinations. Lastly, there’s El Colorado, which rounds out the Three Valleys. With 77 trails, 20 ski lifts and two terrain parks, this resort caters mostly towards intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders, but also is suitable for families and beginners.