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When you need your fix of an American style shopping experience head over to Mall Arauco.  If you were just dropped off in the center of this mall and not told where you were you would probably think you were in an outdoor mall in California.  This mall is new and has everything you could want from a one stop shopping center.  The mall is composed of a outdoor and indoor sections.  In the outdoor sections you will find many restaurants to eat and have a drink, as well as some shopping choices.  However, inside is where you will find most of the shopping.  The inside is huge and it feels like you could spend a day inside and not see everything.  Put on your walking shoes, grab your credit card, and get ready to do some shopping.    

When you need to get out of Santiago for a day than there is no better place to visit than Valparaíso. Only a short 45 minute trip by bus, Valparaíso sits on Chile's Pacific coastline.  However, the city looks like no other city on the planet. Some have compared it to San Francisco, but for those who have visited both San Fransisco and Valparaíso the differences are many and in the end there will be no mistaking the uniqueness of this city. Like San Fransisco, the homes of Valparaíso are built right up the sides of hills, and looking at the homes from the bay it looks as if the homes are built right on top of each other. Despite the chaotic look of the homes there is order and reason present in the Valparaíso. While Valparaíso is not as flashy and tourist minded as Vina del Mar, Valparaíso offers up the look and feel of old Chile and is a great city to walk around in and get lost. Part of Valparaíso's rich history is linked with the Chilean Navy. In fact, the Naval Academy is located in Valparaíso as well as the Naval Museum. Walking through the old cobble stoned streets of Valparaíso one can only imagine that not much has changed since the early days of this city. However, there has been a recent push to clean up Valparaíso to attract more tourist, but part of Valparaíso's charm is it dirty sea faring facade.  But the best part of Valparaíso is that when you are done walking around admiring the architecture you can hope back on a bus and be back in Santiago in time for dinner.  

On one of the few days when the smog lets up in Santiago one of the best places to see the beauty of the city is in Parque Arauco.  The park is located in the posh neighborhood of Las Condes and offers up a large open green space right in the middle of the city.  In addition to all of the greenery you can see the snowcapped Andes from two directions.  One of the best ways to experience the park is to walk through the large rose gardens and take a seat on one of the many benches in the gardens.  Cool breezes and many shade trees make finding a spot to sit a relax easy to find.  There is also lots of flat open grassy areas for picnics and for kicking a soccer ball around.   One of the best features of the park is the fact that you can get away from the noise of the city and after being in Santiago for any amount of time you will enjoy the quiet spaces in the city.  With the fragrant smells of the rose gardens, the views of the Andes, and the quietness of the park there are not many better places in Santiago to spend a lazy afternoon.  So enjoy your trip to the park and be ready for a nice relaxing time.  

When you have some time to kill in Santiago there is no better place to spend it than Plaza de Armas. But even if you don't have time to kill, a visit to Plaza de Armas should be on your itinerary. What makes this plaza so special and worth a visit is there is no better place in Santiago to get a feel for Chileans. In the eyes of Chileans, Plaza de Armas is the center of Santiago as it was on this spot in 1541 that Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago. Ever since then Plaza de Armas has played an important role in the lives of Chileans.

Anchoring the plaza from its center is a large fountain dedicated to Simon Bolivar. Shooting out from the fountain are gardens and palm trees providing shade for the many benches in the plaza. A statue of Pedro de Valdivia on his horse stands in the northeast corner of the plaza, while a statue paying tribute to native peoples provides balance to the plaza in the southwest corner.

Even with everything else, what makes this place special are all the people. There is no better place in Santiago to people watch than Plaza de Armas. Everyday there is something going on in the plaza and hours can be spent watching the day go by. Just take a seat on one of the many benches and soon you will see old men playing chess, local artisans selling their goods, painters painting the life in the plaza, tours being conducted, and people eating their completos.

Lining the plaza is a hodgepodge of new and old buildings. On the northern edge of the plaza sits the Municipalidad de Santiago, Palacio de los Gobernadores and the Palacio de la Real Audencia which houses the Museo Historico Nacional. On the plaza's western edge the Catedral Metropolitana can be found. Also next to the the Catedral Metropolitana sits a glass skyscraper. It is the sight of the glass skyscraper that makes you realize that from this plaza, Chile's past, present and future can all be seen once.

As shown from Santiago's high rise office and condominium buildings, this city is always looking towards the future.  It seems you cannot go more than a block or two without seeing cranes building the next high rise or a demolition crew clearing space for a new building.  But in all the chaos that is Santiago, there are still pockets of old Santiago to be found.  One such place can be found on the street Londres.  When you step onto Londres you will think you have traveled across the globe to Europe.  From the narrow cobble stoned street, to the the small plaza, Londres presents a very European look.  When you are walking down this street and hear the echoes of steps on cobble stone, it is hard to remember that one of the busiest streets in all of Santiago is less than 100 yards away.

Londres offers a nice escape and a good place to hang your hat for the night.  There are numerous hotels and hostels on Londres and you are sure to find a room and rate that fits your needs.  There is also a very nice cafe on Londres that offers up small plates of food, juices, beer and wine.  While the food is nothing special and I would certainly not plan to have a meal there, it is a great place to have a drink with some good company.  For those who like history, Londres holds a sad place in the minds of many Chileans.  When walking on Londres pay special attention to Londres 38.  Recently the outside of this building gave no indication as to its dark past and place in Chilean history.  However, during 1973-1974 Londres 38 was used by Pinochet's DINA as an interrogation and torture house.  Recently there has been a push by some locals to save the building and turn it into a museum.  So if you find yourself near Londres it is well worth the quick detour to walk down the street and see a little bit of history.    

One of the best museums in Santiago is the Museo Chileno De Arte Precolombino. Located just a block off of the Plaza de Armas, this museum offers up some of the best exhibits of pre-Columbian artifacts from the Americas. The museum's collection has pieces from as far north as Mexico and as far south as southern Chile. All of the exhibits have informational cards next to them that explain what you are looking at and other insightful information about the exhibit. These informational cards are written in both Spanish and English. The museum's presentation of its exhibits is well thought out and executed flawlessly. The only real gripe you can have with the museum is that there is no cafe in the museum to have a bite or a cup of coffee afterwards to discuss your experiences inside the museum. But that is hardly a real complaint as there are many cafes surrounding the museum.

The cost of admission is cheap at about $4, but if you really want a good deal go on a Sunday as admission is free. The museum is also easy to get to as there is a Metro stop at Plaza de Armas. You would be hard pressed to find a better use of time and money than a Sunday visit to the Museo Chileno De Arte Precolombino.

Any trip through Santiago would not be complete without a stop at Parque Metropolitano Cerro San Cristobal.  This is the largest park in Santiago and sits atop the second highest peak in Santiago.  The park houses a public zoo, gardens, picnic areas, miles of hiking and walking trails, two public swimming pools, a gondola, and at the summit an open air church, amphitheater, and 22 meter tall statute of the Virgin Mary.  The main entrance into San Cristobal is in Barrio Bellavista.  At the main entrance you will many local artists selling their goods, and when you make your way past them you will be forced to make your first decision in the park.  As previously stated this park sits atop a hill, and to fully enjoy the park you must get to the top of the hill.  Your two options in reaching the top is to pay for a ticket to ride the funicular or walk up to the top of the hill.  A walk is enjoyable and nice, but it is not an easy walk.  So if you do not like strenuous walks up hills, I would recommend a ride on the funicular.  The funicular will drop you off just below the summit.  From the funicular drop off just a short walk is required to get to the open air church and the great views to be had from atop Santiago’s second highest peak.  Also nearby is a restaurant and the park’s gondola.  A trip on the gondola will drop you off at one of the park’s two pools, called Tupahue.  The second pool, called Antilén, can be reached via taxis that can be found at the entrance of the park or at the entrance to Tupahue.  Finally, if you are visiting Cerro San Cristobal stop at one of the information booths near the entrance to get a map of the park.  This is an essential tool in a visit as many of the parks attractions are poorly identified inside the park.  The park maps are easy to read and will guide you where you need to get.