Day Two:
La Moneda Palace/ Plaza de la Constitución – Moneda at Morandé, Santiago Centro
– 6 minute walk –
Bolsa de Comercio de Stantiago (Santiago Stock Exchange) – La Bolsa 64
– 13 minute walk –
Cerro Santa Lucia/Santa Lucia Park
– 20 minute walk –
Dinner at Como Agua Para Chocolate, and Explore Bellavista NeighborhoodNOT TO MISS: Cerro San Cristóbal – Bellavista Neighborhood
One of our favorite things we did while exploring Santiago was watching the changing of the guard at La Moneda Palace/ Plaza de la Constitución. It was incredibly patriotic and impressive. It was also really cool to see that there were a good number of female soldiers, who were first allowed to join the Palace Guard in 2001. The soldiers make up the La Moneda Palace Guard, or Guardia Palacio de la Moneda. They serve as the ceremonial escort to the Chilean President as well as provide overall security for the palace, which, along with other governmental buildings, lines Plaza de la Constitucion.
The changing of the guard ceremony is not to be missed – it occurs every other day at 10am. You’ll see two Carabineros mounted units and the Central Band of the Carabineros lead in the incoming guard detachment and lead out the outgoing guard detachment. If you can, check this event out on a Monday – not only will you see the changing of the guards, but you’ll be treated to a “cordon of honor” for the Chilean President, which consists of two ten-man squads, a drummer, and a bugle player.
While you’re there, check out the plaza itself – it sits in the main hub of the civic district and is surrounded by important governmental buildings including the Central Bank of Chile and the Ministry of Finance. Take a stroll around and check out the four monuments in the plaza dedicated to a crucial political figure in Chilean history – Diego Portales, Jorge Alessandri, Eduardo Frei Montalva, and Salvador Allende.
Head east on Av Libertador Bernado O’Higgins and make a left on to Nueva York. La Bolsa splits off to the left fom Nueva York. Right there is the Santiago Stock Exchange or Bolsa de Comercio de Stantiago. This is Chile’s main stock exchange and the third largest in South America. It’s cool to see whether you’re a finance aficionado like my dad, or if you’re just interested in seeing a very important and powerful governmental entity.
It’s shockingly small, mainly because most trades now happen online. It’s impressive, nonetheless – you walk into an imposing room that looks like it means business, quite literally, because it does. The trade floor is circular, with chairs and computers forming a ring in the center. The lower part of the back wall is almost entirely made up of the electronic trade board. The first thing that will get your attention, however is the huge electronic platform on the wall directly as you walk in, called Telepregón, where the exchange trades are made.
The exchange is open Monday-Friday from 9:30am to 4pm in the winter and 9:30am to 5pm in the summer. If it’s there, be sure to ca
tch a photo of yourself as a trader on the exchange floor.
Head east down Moneda to Santa Lucía Park. Bordered by Sta Lucía to the west, Victoria Subercaseaux to the east, and Avenue Bernardo O’Higgins to the south, this park weaves around benches, trees, flowers, and intricate staircases and alcoves. The best part of the park is the maze-like hike to the uppermost lookout point, that affords you a 360-degree view of Santiago. Two stairways lead up to the lookout point from the Plaza Caupolicán esplanade, which takes about a half hour. You also have the option of taking a complementary elevator two blocks north of the main park entrance.
Check out the little tourism office near the Alameda entrance – it’s open during the week but closed for lunch from 2pm to 3pm. Be sure too to check out the Centro de Exposición de Arte Indígena on the western side of the Santa Lucía hill. The park is open November through March from 9am to 7pm and April through October from 9am to 6pm, Monday through Friday.
For dinner, check out Como Agua Para Chocolate, inspired by the 1989 novel, Like Water for Chocolate. The restaurant is located in the Bellavista neighborhood, which is a good place to explore, shop, and hang out. Be sure to stop by poet Pablo Neruda’s home of La Chascona and the open air mall, Patio Bellavista. Como Agua Para Chocolate is one of the most popular restaurants in the Bellavista neighborhood and offers awesome and tasty traditional Chilean fare.
The best seating is outside if the weather is good, but if you want to sit inside, request the “bed table,” a table that looks like a bed, with a headboard and everything. You’ll be as impressed as we were with the food, ambiance, and wait staff.
NOT TO MISS!
Cerro San Cristóbal is one of the most iconic tourist sites in Santiago. It could fit in on either day as you’re exploring the Bellavista neighborhood. Cerro San Cristóbal sits within Parque Metropolitano. There are a few ways to reach the top – you can hike up to the top (takes about an hour) from the west entrance at Plaza Caupolicán (Pio Nono), you can drive or take a cab (fee for a car is 3,000 CLP during the weekdays and 4,000 CLP on the weekend), or you can take the super fun FUNICULAR! The funicular is rad – its a little rickity, but it’s safe, clean, and gives you a nice and relaxing view of the city without running out of breath. Fun fact: the funicular is a historic monument in Chile, opened in 1925. It costs 2,000 CLP for a round-trip ticket during the week and 2,600 CLP on the weekends and holidays.
Once you reach the top, the first thing to catch your attention is the beautiful white statue of the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepción (Blessed Virgin Mary). The statue is approximately 72 feet tall with a small chapel at the bottom, prayed and blessed by Pope John Paul II on April 1, 1987. It has lights on it at night, which allows the beautiful statue to be viewed during the night and daytime. At the foot of the statue is an amphitheater, which usually hosts religious ceremonies. To your right as you pass the amphitheater up to the statue, check out the small tourist shop and a beautiful chapel for praying just beyond that. The park is open daily 8:30am to 9pm, but be sure to observe the hours of the funicular if you don’t want to walk – Monday from 1pm to 6pm and Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 7pm.
Happy Santiago travels! Stay tuned for VALPARAÍSO!