Which area is in Santiago?

Are you planning a trip to Chile and visiting its capital? Here is our guide to the best areas to stay in Santiago de Chile!

Located in the centre of Chile between the Pacific Ocean and the Andean Cordillera, Santiago is the capital and largest city of Chile, with 4,912,500 inhabitants (2012) spread over 641,4 km2. The urban area, which has 7 million inhabitants, is one third of the total population and is considered to be the third richest city, the seventh most populous and the seventh largest city with the highest quality of life in Latin America.

Santiago is an agglomeration of 37 communes. I mean, urban conurbation is vast! It is also a city where the cost of living is high: staying in Santiago will be rather expensive, even for a youth hostel. Here is a presentation of the neighborhoods where to sleep in Santiago.

Civico

Central area of Santiago is the business district, political and administrative institutions of the city. In contemplating architecture, one realizes that the old colony the modern for a singular blend of the over-year epochs with the present time. Nearby you will find Plaza de Armas, the central square of Santiago, parks and shopping centres. To make your cultural outings – ideal to advance in Spanish – go see a show at the municipal theater of Santiago. Not far, make the La Vega market on the north shores of Mapocho. It is an ideal area to stay in Santiago to radiate in the city.

Recoleta

Here, you'd almost believe in Valparaiso: north of the city centre, here's a colorful neighbourhood, full of graffiti and popular pubs. Artistic places are there at the rendezvous and the district offers a guaranteed change of scenery. This area is recent, created under the dictatorship of Pinochet. The area is crossed by the Santiago General Cemetery: it is not always the kind of place you want to visit, but it is worth a look at it: 86 hectares of tombs, mausoleums and columbariums, a rather unusual tourist attraction in the Recoleta district. This place of burial is very frequented by the inhabitants of the neighborhood, who come to decorate the tombs of their family, which makes a place usually lugurate a colorful flowered monument.

Bellavista

If we had to compare Bellavista to the neighbourhood of a French city, we would say that it is a bit the street of the Rennes thirst: Bellavista is the center of the nightlife in Santiago de Chile. The area is located between the Mapocho River and the Cerro San Cristóbal Hill, a gigantic park so the summit rises to 860 metres above sea level. You will find in this area arty and bohemian number of bars, discotheques, art galleries, clubs and restaurants. Architecture of times, bars and greenery are the heart of the neighbourhood. It is a very popular area of young locals, pleasant where to stay in Santiago.

Providencia

Located northeast of the city centre, Providencia is a former commune annexed to the territory of Santiago. The streets are lively there both day and night and you will find many restaurants and bars on the street. The area is popular with Chileans, expatriates and foreign tourists: a rather heterogeneous and cosmopolitan population, a broth of cultures around the world. Providencia has a culinary soul: there are organic, vegetarian and cheap international restaurants. If you like lively and comfortable areas, this is where you have to stay in Santiago.

Main photo credit: Flickr – a l o b o s