Loved this park! We got there in time to find parking in the only lot available, though at the…read moreback, so we started our hike along the sound of rushing water up to the entrance. There is a fee to get in. We walked up a mild hike that was supposed to go to a waterfall, but my children were definitely more interested in digging in the dried out clay dirt and finding sticks and moving rocks around. The first part of the hike, the official path, very rough and marked by rocks, was surrounded on both sides by ample space for small trees, bushes, plants, rocks, and land enough for meandering around before sloping downward. When we made it to the narrow part of the path- barely big enough for two people to walk side by side- and I could see straight down the mountain with no buffer, I had to turn around. We went back down the same way - which is not easy on the knees!- and saw lots of birds hopping around quite close to us, plus a pig with piglets - not close to us. Back at the beginning, my husband wandered towards the sound of rushing water, and although there were no signs directing people there, we walked across some boulders and found a beautiful shaded stream full of rocks. We had a blast jumping from rock to rock and holding different rocks under the water. This was one of the cleanest parks I've ever seen- no trash visible at all in the natural areas - which is impressive from US standards! The bathrooms were also spotless, with a clever and aesthetically pleasing outdoor shared-genders hand-washing area on the side of it.

This is my favorite day hike in Santiago! It is the perfect way to take a break from Santiago's…read morebusy smog-filled streets and the hum-drum of every day city living. Getting there is super easy - even if you don't have a car! If you are coming from downtown, you can take the 412 micro straight and it will let you off about a 10 minute walk from Aguas de Ramon. It is uphill, so you can take a taxi if you would like to save your walking legs for once you get there. When you arrive, be sure to sign in and pay the small fee of $1.500 and $500 pesos for children under 8 years. The park opens at 8am and I recommend getting there when it opens so you have enough time to enjoy the waterfall at the top of the trail and take your time going up because the trek is quite steep and the longest trail (according to the Park officials) takes on average 7 hours. However, they have different trail options and cut off times for when you can start going up since the park closes at 7pm during the summer at 5:30pm in winter. Saltos de Apoquindo (the longest hike) is open for you to start hiking from 8:00am to 10:00am Los Peumos from 8:00am to 2:30pm Canto del Agua from 8:00 to 5:00pm Now, let's say you do get a late start but want to do Saltos de Apoquindo. You have two choices: tell the park guides you will be doing Los Peumos (there is no one really verifying this) OR plead and promise you are in good shape and will get down before the park closes (I went for the more complicated, latter version). Because of this, I am proud to tell you that my friend and I got up to the waterfall, had lunch and back down in 3.5 hours -- we were absolutely exhausted since we ran up the whole thing but it was worth it! So, although they say it takes 7 hours it can take sufficiently less depending on how you go up. Also, I recommend bringing TONS of water with you since there is no place to fill up (I took my chances drinking from a flowing river off the trail..but I wouldn't recommend it). Many people have said they have seen exotic forest animals, but the most exotic animal I have seen was a cow. Regardless, this is the best mountain hike in Santiago by far! You will be immersed within nature from the green hills and snow capped mountains to the cascading waterfalls and wild flowers.

This is a great site to visit. You get beautiful views at the top of the mountain. We enjoyed…read moreriding the rail car going up and then the gondola going down. There's some vendors selling souvenirs. We bought ponchos for about $35. There's some walking involved but nothing strenuous. The restrooms at the top were fairly clean. There's also a snack shop at the top selling coffee, ice cream and snacks. I highly recommend this place.

Cerro San Cristóbal has a little something for everyone! Trails for running/hiking, paved pathways…read morefor walking/cycling, and even a cable car for killer views (plus less huffing and puffing for the ascent). The hill offers beautiful views of Santiago from the higher points, but there are also plenty of interesting stops along the way, including side trails, small cafés, and even playgrounds in some of the parks. The city has done a fantastic job making this an accessible public attraction, and access is totally free! Definitely one of my favorite stops in Chile.

If you need to escape the hustle and bustle (and pollution) of the city, I highly recommend this…read morespot. We've been twice now, and it never disappoints. It's pup and kid friendly with an opportunity to hike, swim, BBQ, bike, and more. The prices recently increased, so now a car with two people will pay $14.000 clp to enter. Definitely take sunscreen, a hat, towel, good hiking shoes, and water. They also have bathrooms. Arrive early to claim a spot for your group, but honestly, there are so many good options! Getting here can be daunting because there isn't a paved road for much of it, or it is one lane with blind curves, but if you can brave that, it is worth it! The best days to come are weekdays since it can be totally packed on the weekend with bottlenecks at the entrance. The hiking is pretty tame and not far at all--very kid friendly.

Cerro Pochoco is not for beginners. Parts of the hike is quite steep and not well-marked. We…read morehiked for about 30 minutes and were able to see fantastic views of the Andes mountains. It probably takes 2 hours to climb to the top. While I did not make it to the top, I was told that the hike becomes rock climbing, and that getting down was even more difficult. As a novice hiker, I was quite impressed by the athleticism of the local Chileans. Many brought their dogs and toddlers along with them, and they seem quite fearless and basically ran down the mountain.

Río Mapocho flows from the Andes mountains through the center of the city of Santiago, Chile. It is…read morea short and shallow river, only reaching 110 kilometers (68 miles) in length. Definitely don't drink it. Definitely don't even touch it. The water is quite contaminated by household and industrial sewage as well as copper-mining waste upriver. Still, it's interesting to look at how the riverbanks have been used as graffiti boards and political advertisements.

Ever since I saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory I have wanted to see a river made of…read morechocolate. Well in Santiago you can it's the Rio Mapocho (Mapocho river). Ok so it's not actually made of chocolate, but it is the same color a yucky brown. The river stretches throughout Santiago and is a hot spot for protests. It runs by several parks including Parque forestal. I have never seen the river completely full and it looks kinda sad treading along. Unfortunately people throw a lot of trash in the river and it is obviously very polluted. Many little foot bridges cross over the river including the infamous Puente de Cadenas ( Lock Bridge) In the future the municipality is supposed to make a bike lane in the river to make it safer for bikers to navigate the city.