The historic heart — the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral, the presidential palace, grand old buildings, markets and museums, buzzing with city life. Central, atmospheric and well-connected on the metro, close to the main sights; the base for travellers who want to be in the thick of downtown, walkable to the plazas, markets and museums, if quieter and less polished after dark.
A look around
What you’ll be living next to. Swipe through.
€85–160
typical per night in Chile
The sensible middle
Typical prices for Santiago — neither steal nor splurge.
Where it sits
The circle is Santiago Centro and roughly a 10-minute walk around it.
How far is everything?
From the middle of this area to the city's headline sights — pick your own on the city page and these become your list.
- Santa Lucía Hill9 min walk735 m
- Chilean food11 min walk956 m
- Museo de Bellas Artes13 min walk1.1 km
- Bellavista street art19 min walk1.6 km
- La Chascona (Neruda's house)20 min walk1.6 km
- San Cristóbal Hill27 min walk2.2 km
- Wine tasting & the valleys27 min walk2.2 km
- Sky Costanera14 min taxi4.7 km
On your doorstep
What you’re living next to if you stay here.
- 2.Plaza de Armas — The historic heart of the city and the country — the grand main square, ringed by the cathedral, the central post office and the National History Museum, thronged with chess players, buskers, artists and life. The symbolic centre of Santiago since its founding in 1541; soak up the bustle, admire the buildings, and use it as the starting point for exploring the historic downtown around it. The lively, atmospheric core of the old city.
- 3.La Moneda Palace — The neoclassical presidential palace — the site of the dramatic 1973 coup, when it was bombed and President Allende died, a pivotal moment in Chile's history. Watch the changing-of-the-guard ceremony out front, and visit the excellent underground Centro Cultural La Moneda beneath the square, which hosts world-class art exhibitions. A dignified, historically charged heart of the modern nation, and a moving link to Chile's turbulent recent past.
- 5.Mercado Central — Santiago's historic central market, housed under a beautiful 19th-century wrought-iron roof — a bustling temple of Chile's astonishing seafood, from giant crabs and razor clams to conger eel, surrounded by lively restaurants where you can eat the freshest catch. A feast for the senses and the belly; slurp a bowl of paila marina fish stew or fresh ceviche amid the market bustle. A delicious, atmospheric plunge into the city's seafood culture. Come hungry.
- 9.Pre-Columbian Art Museum — One of the finest museums in South America — a beautifully curated collection of pre-Columbian art and artefacts from across the Americas, from Andean textiles and gold to Mesoamerican ceramics and Chinchorro mummies, superbly displayed in a grand colonial building downtown. Compact, world-class and illuminating; a wonderful window into the sophisticated cultures of the continent before the conquest. A cultural highlight and a rewarding, cool couple of hours in the city centre.
When are you staying?
Booking.com & Airbnb open searched to Santiago Centro; flights via Google Flights.