by Andre Sanchez

Santiago is a modern city, and Santiago vacations provide the amenities that you would expect of a modern 21st century city.

Santiago is not as attractive as Paris, Madrid or Rome, but is a modern city nevertheless.  It has suffered from earthquakes over the ages, and the attractive colonial buildings of its past have largely been destroyed. Perhaps through the lasting Pinochet influence, it is not as much of a fun city as other Latin cities, and after a few days you might feel ready to move on, but do not be too hasty, because Santiago had much to offer. 

Irrespective of the fact that it does not appear quite to have reached the level of other capital cities in the provision of fun for holidaymakers, Santiago nevertheless boats a number of top class hotels providing all the amenities expected of a major modern city.  The restaurants are excellent and the city is ideally situated for the wine areas, the ski resorts and the other attractions that Chile has to offer.

The main attractions of Santiago include the Plaza des Armas that is the center of Santiago and the place to be if you want to see native Chileans enjoying what their city has to offer them.  This is where families meet in the evening and people go for their lunch breaks, much like Central Park on a good day. If you are interested in Chile’s history, Santiago boasts the best museum in the country, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombina that has impressive displays from large numbers of South American and Latin American civilizations from a long time before the Westerners came to spoil it all.

The influence of the Pinochet days is still there but the capital city is improving and slowly becoming fun to visit.  It has taken time, but is now getting there. The major problem that Santiago may have is that it needs the tourists to inject capital into the city, but will not get as much as it could until it promotes tourism and provides visitors with what they want – fun!

However, if you like an action holiday, then you can go hiking in the mountains, and ski in one of the world class ski resorts from around June to September or October, bearing in mind that in Chile, the winter is the western summer, and vice versa for the summer, that being the Chilean winter.  Santiago and its environs have lovely beaches that you should visit from December to February or March. There are several excursion companies in Santiago that take out of the city for a few days of adventure.

You can visit any of the many vineyards surrounding the capital, or one of the hot springs.  Santiago sits in a basin between the Andes to the East and the Coast Range to the West.

Car rental is easy, and the roads around Santiago are not crowded.  You can drive to one of the many vineyards around the capital and try some wine tasting, or drive the 74 miles to Valparaiso, Chile’s chief port with its funicular railways and traditional cobbled streets. In fact, Santiago is a good base for traveling to many of Chile’s tourist attractions.

So what exactly has the center of Santiago to offer.  It is usually the city center that gives an impression of a city as tourist attraction.  If you find the Avanida Bernardo O’Higgins, this is named after a nineteenth century Chilean hero, who fought and achieved Chilean independence from Spain. If walk down the Avenue you will come across the French style National Library that holds important exhibits for serious scholars. In fact, Santiago has many museums for the serious minded, and the center contains many monuments to people important in the history of Chile as a whole, and Santiago in particular.

In the evening, you can find discos and nightclubs, and evidence that Chile is climbing its way up after the dark days. The modern subway system is excellent for traveling around the city, and if you have children you can take them to Fantasilandia that has lots of attractions for the kids.

For good food, try the Mercado Central (Central Market), an iron structure that was brought in pieces from England and reconstructed as an indoor market area that also houses a variety of eateries. There are strolling musicians and the traditional pan pipers around this area, and it is great if you are looking for a combination of the new and the old.

Santiago is recovering from the Pinochet era, and is a magnet for tourists interested in old buildings and museums.  It has much to offer tourists, and nightclubs are opening daily to offer western style entertainment mixed with typical Chilean foods.  The wines are superb, and  if you like good wines, then you will never forget a vacation in Santiago.

Santiago Vacations was originally published at http://www.globallifenow.com