The first thing that you should know reading this post is that every time I think of Santiago, I hear in my head: “Santiago de Chileeeeeeee,” with instant joy :). While Santiago is very polished for a Latin American city (there’s rules and a lot of them), it still fills you with warmth and happiness.
We didn’t spend much time (about 2 days in total) but already got a good idea of what the city has to offer. Most people will tell you Santiago’s not worth it. You stop there because there’s an international airport and then head somewhere else. That’s total bullshit. The city is amazing and I could have easily spent a month or two exploring and enjoying its streets, restaurants, and general atmosphere.
Here’s basically where we ended up hanging out:
Walking in Santiago
The city’s most interesting parts are not very remote and you can easily walk through everything in a day or two. I don’t know much of South America, having only been to Cuba before. However, it felt like a Spanish city to me, with slightly different habits and vibes. You can totally feel the influence the US has had on the country as well (see last photo of this section).
Food and restaurants
Chile is the most expensive South American country, so don’t expect to eat for cheap here. Prices are similar to what you’d pay in Europe. BUT, and it’s a big BUT you get a lot of awesome stuff for the price. We had octopus way too many times. Nah, just kidding — you can’t have octopus too many times.
I could have this for lunch every day.
Street Art
Santiago was also unexpectedly good for street art. We came across a couple of areas that were as good as what you might see in Brooklyn, NY or Shoreditch, London (sorry very Western references here).
Dance on the street
Love on the street
<3
<3
How sweet? Love everywhere. If you’ve lived in England for too long as I have, it can feel a bit unnatural; but then you realize that it’s probably what we should all do.
Thanks for reading; hope this made you feel like visiting Santiago. Hasta luego!
To read about the rest of my trip to Chile, follow the following links: