Western and southern Santiago

Western and Southern Santiago comprises a variety of districts west and south of the downtown of Santiago. If you travel to the city by plane or train, here is where you will end up. One highlight of this part of Santiago is the Barrio Brasil neighborhood.

Christmas in Maipu

In addition to the westernmost third of Santiago downtown, the western part of the city is made up of the districts of Cerrillos, Maipú, Estación Central, Quinta Normal, Pudahuel, Lo Prado and Cerro Navia. The west of the city is mostly made up of rapidly growing residential areas. A few decades ago the old town of Maipu was separated from Santiago by agricultural land, now the stretch has been entirely urbanized. One of the main streets of western Santiago, Avenida Pajaritos, is a westward continuation of downtown's main avenue Alameda.

The southern sector of the city comprises the districts of San Joaquín, Pirque, La Pintana, La Granja, San Ramón, San Miguel, La Cisterna, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Lo Espejo, El Bosque and San Bernardo. It is mostly residential with some industrial sectors. It includes some of the poorest areas of the city, though as of lately also some middle and upper class residential areas have emerged. This is one of the most heterogenous areas of Santiago. Here you can find some of the largest malls of the city, visit wineries and the outdoors of the Maipo river valley.

Get in

West

Relatively far out from downtown and with a growing population, transportation has been a problem to and from the western sector of Santiago. Though the extension of the subway in 2011 made it much quicker to get to and from downtown, there are still many residential areas that are only accessibly by bus. Expect congestion during rush hours.

There are also several highways raying out from downtown, catering to those who travel by car.

Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL ^IATA), one of the main gateways to Chile, is in the western suburbs. It's connected to downtown by private airport buses. Closer to the city core is the main railway station.

South

To the southern part of the city, the most convenient ways to get in is either of the subway lines: line 2 to San Miguel and La Cisterna, line 3 to Macul, Florida and Puente Alto and line 5 to San Joaquin and La Florida. Line 4A connects these lines in San Ramón and La Granja. Going to San Bernardo, the local train is your best choice. Like with the rest of the city, there is a myriad of bus lines, and buses are your best bet to get around for shorter distances.

See

• 1 Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, Avenida Matucana 501. One of the city's newest museums showcasing the human rights violations during the Pinochet dictatorship. It has English explanations to some of the showcasing. Free entry. Audioguide 5000 pesos. (updated Feb 2016)
• 2 Museo Interactivo Mirador, Av. Punta Arenas 6711. Interactive science and art museum, targeting children. The exhibits can be touched and manipulated by visitors. You can go there by metro, though it's about 1 km away from the closest station Bellavista de la Florida on line 5. (updated Feb 2016)
• 3 Paseo de la Historieta. In San Miguel, next to Gran Avenida there's a park with statues with figures from Chilean history as they appear in the comic book series Condorito. (updated Feb 2016)
• 4 Estación Central de Santiago. The country's main railway station, designed by Gustave Eiffel is past its glory days as rail transport has been replaced by planes, buses and cars. Still, this remarkable building is where you will arrive at if you travel to Santiago by train and worth seeing even if you don't. Plus, it has even given the name to the neighborhood it's located in! (updated Feb 2016)
• 5 Basílica Santuario Nacional de Maipú (Templo Votivo), Republica 1890 (in Maipú). Constructed on the orders of Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins, as he wanted to thank Virgin Mary for the final victory over the Spanish forces in the plains nearby. The best time to visit is the first Sunday after Easter when the Feast of Quasimodo takes place. The basilica complex also includes a museum dedicated to the first Chilean government including documents, clothing, paintings and vehicles. (updated Feb 2016)
• 6 Parque Quinta Normal. One of the city's largest and most traditional parks, with many museums located in and around it. These include the National Museum of Natural History of Chile, the Museum of Science and Technology, the Railway Museum of Chile. Its surroundings are also the Artequín Museum, the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, the Matucana 100 Cultural Center, and Library of Santiago. (updated Feb 2016)
• 7 Museo Nacional Aeronáutico y del Espacio, Avda. Pedro Aguirre Cerda 5000 (at the former Los Cerrillos Airport). This museum is all about historical Chilean aircraft. It's also a venue for aviation-related events. (updated Feb 2016)

Interesting neighborhoods

• Barrio Brasil - Residential district west of the old town, has been turned into a commercial zone.
• Barrio Yungay - One of the most traditional barrios in the city with varied architecture, associated with artists and culture.
• Barrios República and Barrio Dieciocho - Nowadays home to university campuses, it used to be the home of the city's wealthy, so there are many beautiful buildings to be seen here.

Do

• 1 Centro Cultural Matucana 100, Matucana 100 (from Metro Quinta Normal (Line 5), M100 is on the left hand side walking south on Matucana (towards Alameda)), ☏ +56 2 29649240, matucana100@m100.cl. Tu 12:00–18:00, W 12:00–20:30, Th-Sa 12:00–22:00, Su 12:00–21:30. Inaugurated in 2002, Matucana 100 is an excellent exhibition venue for a variety of arts. (updated Jul 2017)
• 2 Parque Laguna Carén. A lagoon and wetland area near the highway to Valparaíso. In addition to walking around in you can also practice water activities like fishing or rowing. (updated Feb 2016)

Buy

Barrio Franklin features workshops, small and large businesses, storehouses, a former slaughterhouse among others. The biggest magnet for travellers are likely the 4000 shops in this barrio; you can find everything from clothes and furniture to antiquities and car parts at low prices. Different types of products are concentrated in different areas. Expect to spend hours and hours here, even if you aren't a shopaholic. Los Persias (fairs) held on weekends are especially popular, but this is also when people selling stolen goods are there. You can get in by the line 2 of the metro, get off at the Franklin station.

Eat

• 1 Boulevard Lavaud, Compañía de Jesús 2789 (Cumming underground station), ☏ +56 2 26825243, reservas@boulevardlavaud.cl. M-Th 09:00–01:00, F Sa 09:00–03:00, Su 11:00–17:00. In Barrio Yungay, Boulevard Lavaud is more than a coffee and restaurant, is part of Santiago history. Better known as La Peluqueria Francesa, is part restaurant, part antique store and part hair salon onion soup 3500 pesos, Coq au vin 7500 pesos, Duck a l'orange 9500 pesos. (updated Jul 2017)
• 2 Plaza Café, Av. Brasil 221 (Barrio Brasil). Pleasant place to eat a cheap three-course lunch. 
• 3 Ocean Pacific, Ricardo Cumming 221 (Barrio Brasil), ☏ +56 2 26972413. Stylishly blue decorated restaurant that has a broad range of seafood. The take-away parlor next door with the same name, has excellent empanadas. 
• 4 Santa Isabel, Ricardo Cumming and Compañia (Barrio Brasil). Big supermarket where you can gather the ingredients for your own meal. It also has simple take-away items such as chicken or rice. 
• 5 Los Buenos Muchachos, Avda. Ricardo Cumming 1031, ☏ +56 2 26980112. 12:30 - 01:30. Great food and great entertainment. 
• 6 Ostras Azocar, General Bulnes 37. Nice restaurant to eat Chilean seafood, specially fresh oysters. 
• 7 Las Delicias de Quirihue, Domeyko 2059, ☏ +56-2-26951096. Traditional dishes from rural southern Chile, BBQ, sausages and bean stew are things you can find on the menu. 8000 pesos. 
• 8 Las Vacas Gordas, Cienfuegos 280, ☏ +56-2-26971066. Specializing in BBQ, but they also have many other dishes on the menu. 10,000 pesos. 

Drink

Wineries of Maipo

There are many wineries in the southeast of the city, both inside and outside the city borders. Many offer tours to visitors, wine tasting and on-premise restaurants.

• 1 Viña Concha y Toro, Av. Virginia Subercaseaux 210, Pirque. (updated Feb 2016)
• 2 Viña Santa Rita. Located in Alto Jahuel, Paine the current winery has been in 1880. Before this was a ranch, and the place where the Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins escaped after the defeat against the Spanish at the Battle of Rancagua. Tours need to be booked two days ahead and they include the a presentation of the production process, the wine cellars and of course wine tasting. (updated Feb 2016)

Sleep

• 1 Casa Bonita Bed&Breakfast, Pasaje Republica 5 (100 meters from Metro República (Line 1)), info@bbcasabonita.com. Established in a national monument in a protected historical neighborhood. It offers single and double rooms with or without private bathroom and also has rooms for three or four persons. All rooms have central heating, cable TV and Wi-Fi signal. Rates start from US$58 for a single and US$67 for a double. A varied breakfast, internet access and cable TV are included. This B&B is personally run by its owners, a Dutch-Chilean marriage. 
• 2 La Casa Roja, Agustinas 2113, ☏ +56 2 26964241. Hostel in an old renovated mansion. The shared kitchen is huge and excellent. It's a party place, so it can get a bit noisy. Run-down area. Pool. Dorm rooms 7000 pesos. One night free every six nights if paid beforehand. 
• 3 Hostel Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos 151 (in Barrio Brasil), ☏ +(56)-2-2671-8532, recepcion@lacasarojahostel.com. Associate member of Hostelling International. Around 40$. 

Connect

Barrio Brasil