Barrio Santiago Centro is the historical part of the city and is full of tourist attractions, including Cerro Santa Lucia, National Library, Plaza de la Constitución, La Moneda, Plaza de Armas, Museo Precolombino, Palacio de la Real Audiencia, Catedral Metropolitana and Museo Histórico Nacional. The area is easy to navigate and it’s possible to explore it in one day. Tourists are well catered to, and it’s easy to find hotels and restaurants. Foodies will love the Mercado Central (fish market) and La Vega (fruit and vegetable market).

If you have a bit more time to spend in the city center, you’ll notice that despite the historical buildings and impressive plazas, this is the home of the working class. You can find some department stores and there’s Mall de Centro on Puente 689, but with numerous discount stores and market stalls, Santiago Centro is more of a bargain hunters’ shopping paradise than Rodeo Drive.

Adventurous explorers might be tempted to try a coffee in one of the infamous Cafés con piernas (coffee shops with waitresses in miniskirts). Some are touristy and fairly wholesome, something like Hooter’s. Others, identifiable only by their blackened windows and low thumping music, are little more than strip clubs that serve coffee.

Santiago Centro is a good base if you want to make a whistle-stop tour of the city. However, it can be a bit scary after dark and tourists should be careful with their belongings. If you plan to stay in Santiago for a few days, it’s probably better to stay in Bella Vista or Providencia where the nightlife is better.