What to Do in Santiago – According to Qantas Frequent Flyers
Chile’s capital Santiago is a lively, sprawling hub that unfolds against the dramatic backdrop of the snow-capped Andes mountain range. Its fascinating history, innovative cuisine and eclectic Spanish-speaking neighbourhoods known as barrios make it the ideal gateway from which to explore South America’s natural wonders and bustling cities.
Using Santiago as their base, these Qantas Frequent Flyers cycled across the Andes, hiked in Patagonia and journeyed into the Antarctic. Here are their top tips for Santiago and more.
“Each dish of Boragó’s 16-course Endémica menu was a work of art.” – Suzanne Rath, Gold Frequent Flyer
“My partner and I arrived in Santiago ahead of a cycling trip across the Andes that would take us from Chile to Argentina’s Atlantic coast – a journey of around 1500 kilometres.
We loved the city’s neighbourhoods and sipped cervezas at craft brewery Krossbar in the bohemian neighbourhood of Bellavista and tried Indigenous foods such as cured cáhuil salt trout on amaranth crackers at popular restaurant Peumayén Ancestral Food. We also visited the historical Yungay district for the incredible Museum of Memory & Human Rights and dropped into Peluquería Francesa, one of Santiago’s oldest businesses. It’s a historic 150-year-old French barbershop and cultural landmark in the historic heart of Santiago.
In the suburb of Vitacura, 20 minutes outside of the CBD, we booked a table at Boragó, which regularly ranks among South America’s best dining spots by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Each dish of Boragó’s 16 to 20 course Endémica menu was a work of art made with ingredients sourced from tiny producers and foragers all over Chile, such as tuna from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) served with a spirulina-blue sauce. From Santiago, we also went to Rapa Nui, to see the Moai statues, and to Ecuador where we stayed in a traditional rainforest lodge.”
Suzanne flew Santiago to Sydney.
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“It was amazing to see the Andes from the window on our descent.” – Anna Sherchand, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“The city of Santiago was the starting point for my Chilean adventure, which included hiking through Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park and touring the desert landscapes surrounding San Pedro de Atacama. Flying Qantas Business was relaxing with delicious in-flight meals and a fully flat bed. It was amazing to see the Andes mountains contrasting with the high-rise buildings of the city from the window on descent.
While in Santiago, I hiked the 300-metre-high San Cristóbal Hill to watch the sunrise and ate fresh ceviche at the beautiful Mercado Central fish market. I loved wandering around the colourful cobblestone streets of the historical downtown area Barrio Lastarria, close to the Mapoche River. The city’s neoclassical, art nouveau and art deco-style architecture is beautiful and its unique, independent boutique shops are worth exploring.”
Anna flew Sydney to Santiago.
“Watching the lush green Chilean fjords and beautiful lakes transform into the icy white landscape of Antarctica is magic.” – Catherine DeVrye, Gold Frequent Flyer
“The last time I was in Chile was 30 years ago when I cycled over the Andes. On this trip I flew into Santiago to take a scenic cruise down the Strait of Magellan to Antarctica. After a visit to Valparaíso (pictured), we began cruising and stopped in some fascinating places, including Castro on Chiloé Island, famous for its rainbow-hued wooden palafitos [stilt houses]. Right near the tip of Chile's Patagonia region is Punta Arenas, a colourful city with an equally colourful history. Its pretty Plaza Muñoz Gamero is lined with 19th-century mansions built by wealthy pioneers. It was smooth sailing as we headed further south along the west coast to Drake Passage, which separates South America and Antarctica. Watching the lush green Chilean fjords and beautiful lakes transform into the icy white landscape of Antarctica was just magical.”
Catherine flew Sydney to Santiago via Auckland.
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“I quit my job to backpack around South America” – Lauren Williamson, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“It had been three years since I’d travelled internationally. My brother, his girlfriend and I began discussing a trip and I ended up quitting my job to spend a few months in South America – a ‘third-life crisis’ of sorts.
“I love flying with Qantas for international trips; the staff are always so kind and the snacks are next-level. We flew into Santiago from Sydney. It’s a really amazing city – beautiful, safe and really walkable, too. We stayed at an Airbnb in Bellas Artes, a cool neighbourhood in the city close to museums, parks, restaurants and markets.
“We spent days wandering around, dropping into museums like The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. We also hiked up San Cristóbal Hill, took the cable car through the park and had a picnic overlooking the city.
Throughout the days, we’d stop in at bars and cafes for beer (I definitely rate Chile's Cerveza Austral) and coffee or we’d just sit street-side with a Pisco Sour.
“While we were there, we ate a lot of street food: definitely try empanadas and sopaipillas, a kind of corn pastry that you put salsa on. There are plenty of fancier dining options too. We had excellent fish, gnocchi and cheese at Bocanáriz in the Lastarria neighbourhood – it’s a wine bar and restaurant with a huge wine list and you can even order flights of Chilean wine. Try a spicy carménère – Chile is famous for this red.
“A highlight was a daytrip to Valparaíso, a beautiful coastal city about two hours from Santiago. We walked around looking at the brightly coloured houses and incredible street art before an amazing lunch at Fauna, a restaurant with views over the city where we had tuna ceviche. After that, we went for a swim in the ocean. A perfect day.”
“At night-time the stars are incredibly bright” – Alana Mai Mitchell, Bronze Frequent Flyer
“I flew through Santiago with my Chilean fiancé, Hector, to meet his family for the first time. The plan was to see San Pedro de Atacama before our engagement party with Hector’s extended family.
“From Santiago, we hopped on another flight to Calama in the Atacama Desert before picking up a hire car to drive to San Pedro. Our accommodation, an Airbnb, was in the middle of the desert. There wasn’t even a road!
“From there we explored Moon Valley, which is full of craters, and Mars Valley, which is red. We also went to the Tatio Geysers, with steaming air coming out of them. At night-time the stars are incredibly bright because there’s no cloud cover or humidity, but to see them you need to travel when there is no full moon. In the Meteorite Museum, you can see well-preserved meteorites that have crashed into the desert.
“We drove back down to Santiago and on to coastal El Quisco, where we saw the Pacific Ocean from the other side.
“Chile is a really narrow country running perpendicular down from the equator and the scenery changes quickly. On the drive down to Temuco, where my fiance’s family is from, you see the diversity of the landscape from the coast to the Andes. It’s spectacular.
“We flew Qantas on the way back and were so well looked after. The seats were comfortable and the flight attendant was able to switch between English and Spanish seamlessly. It was the best flight I’ve done in a long time. We can’t wait to go back and visit Torres del Paine in the South on our next trip.”
“The food stalls in Santiago are excellent” – Karen Bradley, Silver Frequent Flyer
“My husband Craig and I made a brief but memorable stopover in Santiago en route to Antarctica. We flew with Qantas and the staff were, as always, fantastic. We had a recommendation to stay in the Barrio Lastarria, which is an historical neighbourhood in the centre of the city. There are winding cobbled streets and neoclassical architecture, lots of arty cafes and bars and some of the city’s best museums, including the fantastic Museo Arqueológico de Santiago and Museo de Artes Visuales.
“We stayed at the Singular Hotel, a really lovely boutique hotel that has a sensational rooftop bar and restaurant where you can have a drink and spot the 14-metre tall Virgin Mary statue that’s at the top of San Cristóbal Hill.
“We actually went to the top of the hill, too. You can take a cable car up there, but we walked from the hotel through the university, checking out the cool uni students and appreciating the local vibe.
“We were lucky to be in Santiago on a Sunday when a street market takes over the Calle José Victorino Lastarria. Local artisans sell art, crafts, clothes and jewellery, and there’s excellent food stalls too. The flea market goes well into the night.”
