Santiago in a Nutshell (From somebody who’s never been there)
I owe a lot of my insights into Santiago’s hidden treasures to various travelers who have posted their pics online. It seems only recently Chile has even been much of a destination. Otherwise I have read of it as being rather sleepy in recent years- nothing ever happens there.
Plaza de Armas
Santiago, Chile is a place of natural beauty as it lies in a valley between the Andes and Chilean Coastal Range. The city is one of the most modern in South America, and also one of the most European feeling. Wide pedestrian boulevards and monumental buildings, many in the classical and neoclassical styles, add to this feeling. Besides these grand structures, there are more intimate neighborhoods, such as the bohemian Bellavista neighborhood with colorful buildings.
Although much of the atmosphere can reference Europe, the abundance of cool graffiti art and murals is very much a Santiago (and Valparaiso) thing. There is a book on the art of this area: Street Art Chile. Artopic.org shows some more cool examples of street art. As does REVOLVER. Here
Image from Travelpod.com Click for more
Another bit of street culture is the live performance. A traditional entertainer called an organillero amuses with a variety of things, but always a parrot sidekick.
Organillero in Santiago (REVOLVER)
Santiago metro station
The metro is the way to get around. It is the most modern and extensive in South America. If you are traveling on foot, you may run into some local soccer enthusiasts, as is popular the world over. Click here for a youtube video. Despite the green methods of public transportation, the city still has lingering smog some days. I think there could be many comparisons made to California with the landscape and pollution, as well as the cool architecture coming out of Chile.
If you want to know about Chilean popular culture, check out REVOLVER Chilean Magazine (in English). Apparently the mullet, or pichanguera, is popular worldwide. More
The mullet is also affectionately referred to as the chocopanda in Chile, the idiosyncratic name stemming from the hairstyle's popularity with ice-cream vendors selling chocolitos back in the 90's. (REVOLVER Santiago Magazine)
The genius loci of Santiago feels good to me (pichangueras included). Hopefully someday I’ll be able to give a firsthand account of my experience.
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