Courtyard Bellavista
In recent years, Santiago de Chile has gradually entered the radar of the new waves of travelers from the hipster culture, those who seek alternatives to mass tourism , and is eager to try new experiences.
A lot of surprises await us in this South American city, escorted by the majestic and visible Andes mountain range, which has been configured to many as a destiny in itself, and for others, as a rumor to reveal.
We visit Santiago de Chile with a specific objective: to find the ten best plans to do in the city that every self-respecting hipster should know.
1. STAY IN COZY NEIGHBORHOOD BOUTIQUE HOTELS
If what you want is to find a unique and welcoming refuge r, rest in a typical luxury mansion of the old Chilean bourgeoisie , breathe neighborhood air and go out to explore the city like a local, bet on the hotel offer of the neighborhood boutique hotels.
Choose between two: on the one hand, the Matilda , a mansion from the beginning of the 20th century completely restored with 17 rooms, inserted in the patrimonial and cultural Brazil neighborhood. For another, The Aubrey , another restored mansion with 15 rooms with exquisite taste for architectural design, located in the crowded and gastronomic neighborhood Beautiful view, at the foot of the San Cristóbal hill.
The Aubrey Hotel Boutique, warmth and good taste
two. A WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ITS CAFES AND ITS HERITAGE HOUSES
Nothing better than get lost among the people, buy fruit in local stores and tour the city through its neighborhoods.
A few meters from the Matilda hotel, in the same neighborhood of Brazil, is the traditional square namesake, site of social and cultural convergence with permanent displays of street art, fairs of all kinds, interventions and much more. "Mixture" is the word that defines what you will find here, and life, a lot of authentic neighborhood life. Right on the corner of the square, you won't resist take a picture of the reddest and most imposing church in the place, the Parish of the Precious Blood.
Dare to launch yourself through its streets and go Humberto Maturana, Brazil, Cienfuegos, Erasmo Escala or Cumming , and begin to marvel at the architecture of its recovered houses and mansions from a time when the wealthiest families of that time moved to the eastern part of the country, at the beginning of the 20th century. Data of crafty outsider: when passing by the corner of Cumming and Erasmo Escala, take a foreigner coffee; It will be good for you on the road and it will make your body and soul happy.
If you're left wanting more, head over to he neighboring heritage neighborhood Yungay and knows The ship , a colossus of 2000 meters of space dedicated exclusively to dance, music and theater in a remodeled building from the beginning of the 20th century. Right in front, on the corner of Compañía and Libertad, the obligatory gastronomic stop of the day: the Peluquería Francesa restaurant on ** Boulevard Lavaud **.
The Ship will always surprise you
3. CONCHA Y TORO NEIGHBORHOOD, AN OASIS IN THE CITY
Inside the neighborhood of Brazil, a smaller, hidden area from the commercial tumult, the Barrio Concha y Toro, a small oasis of beautiful houses and palaces European style. There is the poet's mansion Vicente Huidobro , which today houses Zully, an exclusive restaurant , and the emblematic mini plaza decorated with cobblestones and a main fountain, that of the Freedom of the press. All this makes up an environment consistent in style and in rhythm of life, which makes it a charming corner from Santiago. There you will find outdoor music, improvised fairs and urban photographers.
If you arrive in the morning, drop by Tales Bistro and ask for a Coffee Bean as an excuse to relax for a few minutes on its upper terrace with view of the square.
Four. DO AN URBAN ART TOUR ON FOOT OR BY BIKE IN THE BELLAVISTA NEIGHBORHOOD
If you decided to stay in the Bellavista neighborhood, you will want to walk its streets as well. But be careful, here you will have the feeling that the walls speak to you . Do you want to know what they tell you? Sign up to Urban Art Tour , the first graffiti tour in Santiago.
The tour lasts approximately two hours, and during the same you will know anecdotes of the authors , of the night brigades, of their works, and the particular coexistence of art with the city and their stories. If your thing is two wheels, in the same neighborhood you will find a rental of touring bikes or mountain bikes , the beautiful bike , at affordable prices, per hour or per tour. Harness the energy, and climb the San Cristóbal hill, to get panoramic views of the city.
The urban art scene is very powerful in this city
5. GET LOST BETWEEN COMICS, ILLUSTRATIONS AND GRAPHICS IN THE LASTARRIA NEIGHBORHOOD
You've fallen in love with art and want more. In ** Plop Galería **, the first Chilean space dedicated to spread illustration , you will find a variety of objects: papers, drawings, agendas, notebooks, sheets and design books illustrators and emerging artists. Important tip: Take a look at their virtual store before to go , to buy time! You can too sign up for their workshops, activities and events.
Later, you can take the opportunity to give a walk around the neighborhood, which is charming and one of the most hipster of Santiago, in addition to letting yourself be tempted by the sweetness of a handmade cake, a macaron or a poppy cake in The Candied Apple , the best bakery in the neighborhood.
Sweet tooth alert at Café Manzana Confitada
6. EAT IN THE FOODTRUCKS OF THE "POCKET SQUARES"
The "Pocket Squares" are creatively intervened spaces to revitalize solar or small unused places in the middle of the city. Is a public initiative, created with citizen participation, thanks to which in these squares you will find chairs, tables, bike racks and the entertaining food carts of all kinds and places, known as food trucks. Is it so decorated with plants and flowers, and stand out for large murals in some of the facades that surround the space.
It's a different choice to make a pause in your journey urban through the city, have a drink or eat a meal in a cozy environment. Try the Morandé Square 83 , where you will find a mural of the artist Alexander “monkey” Gonzalez , or the one in Santo Domingo with Teatinos, which stands out from afar for the great graffiti of the renowned muralist ** Dasic FernándeZ .** If you have done the urban art tour recommended above, you will surely recognize them.
7. BUY VINYL AND VINTAGE CLOTHING IN EL PERSA BIO BIO
fans to search hidden treasures and vintage items: it's your time. we arrived at Persian Bio Bio , the largest flea market in Santiago, located in the Franklin neighborhood. For this tour, you must go very early, because at noon it fills up completely with people. There you will find everything and crazy prices.
Unmissable are the dozens of vinyl stores , the collection of cans and pottery from the time of our grandmothers, the vintage magazine stand and the famous vintage design store **Baccarat,** which hides unique treasures from exclusive garments of yesteryear and movie costumes . If you love the fashion of the years 50, 60 and 70, the fine fabrics, the colors and Hollywood, this is your place.
When you manage to escape the Persian fever and seek eat something fast to continue, stop by the food stalls on the go, like the traditional Jaime's Pica . This is the place for the generous sandwiches in marraqueta bread (the typical Chilean bread) with pork loin meat, mayonnaise and garlic, which are prepared in a huge iron in view of customers and passers-by. If you are more than casseroles, try the one of The Pipeno , where you can choose freshly made typical chilean food of generous portions and mingle with people like one more inhabitant.
Data that you can't let go : if you liked the mural of the Chilean artist Alejandro “mono” Gonzáles, from the Plaza de Pocket that you met before, then do not forget to visit his own gallery-museum , in the heart of the Persian. There, among other things, you can buy a series of engravings about him last great earthquake that affected the country in 2010, one great award-winning work of the artist and offered at an affordable price for the general public.
8. HAVE BREAKFAST OR SNACK ON A SUNDAY AT THE FIRST HIP CAFÉ IN SANTIAGO
Rendebou , pioneer and charming café-restaurant with a neighborhood air, located at Hernando de Aguirre 3645 in the commune of Providence , offers a varied menu in sandwiches, coffee, juices, breads, entrees and desserts, that are the temptation of any passer-by. And all in a decorated space with vintage objects and furniture and eclectic and home style, to make you feel at home , especially on Sundays.
If you go in the afternoon, La vie en rose plays in the background, so you won't be able to resist the temptation to taste a vegetarian goat cheese and arugula sandwich on beet bread, or a manjar and pink cheese cake inexplicably rich.
9. RELAX WITH A COCKTAIL IN A "PURE JAZZ" EVENING
Music lovers and foodies They combine very well when, in the background, good music is heard. And even more so if jazz . If you come to Santiago, you won't want to leave without knowing a cozy corner and perfectly set , with intimate and retro style or, in a typical house in the Bellavista neighborhood, in the Recoleta district: the Thelonious Jazz Venue (336 Núñez Firefighter Street).
As they call themselves, here jazz is king. You notice it from the entrance to the house of vibrant colors, where you will find established and emerging artists, national and international scene. The whole atmosphere smells of jazz, and to food, that there is too. But, to what we came, jazz and relaxation. Although nothing takes away that you cannot ask yourself a good pisco in a glass together some stuffed mushrooms to liven up the evening, and conclude with a casual and relaxed day of a weekday.
10. TASTE THE DRINK OF THE GODS IN A WINE BAR
It is night, you are in Santiago de Chile, the city offers one of the best wines in the world, and your body knows it. You will have to reserve a place in The Vinocracy , the country of wines, in the traditional and bohemian neighborhood of Ñuñoa.
The establishment has a selection of wines from more than 1000 labels between Chileans and foreigners, carefully curated by its own owner, the master sommelier Héctor Vergara. you'll have to go slowly. Those who know better say combine the bottle with some dishes to share, maybe a carpaccio, some typical Chilean hedgehogs or some prawns sautéed in garlic. A paradise of taste and pleasure until it explodes.