During the day, tourists pass through Bellavista on their way to the the zoo, Cerro San Cristobal and La Chascona (the Santiago home of Pablo Neruda). The area packs in plenty of restaurants and cafés, with enough sights and stores to fill a tourist’s daylight hours. At night, the streets are lined with cheap plastic tables full of young Chileans and foreigners knocking back beers, rum and pisco before hitting the nearby dance floors. The barrio, the gay center of the capital, has some of the most consistently rowdy nightlife in Santiago. This is not the place to go for a few quiet beers before bed.
The nightclubs and discos that spring to life in the evenings blast reggaeton, techno, salsa, rock and hip hop into the wee hours of the morning. If you plan to stay through the night, it’s best to keep your wits about you and your eyes on your wallet. Avoid crossing the bridges to Providencia after dark unless you’re in a large group, as there can be security issues; taxis are a wise choice. There are many craft shops and stalls in the area which remain open into the evening, selling the famous blue lapis lazuli stones and Chilean copper.