This was fun. Our tour group of 34 piled into a cable car to climb up the steep grade to the top…read more There's a bench in a couple of the cars. But for the most part it's standing room only. You'll be able to see the skyline of Santiago as the car continues to climb. Likewise coming down. Once you get off the cable car you can continue taking the stairs or the roundabout terrace to see the Virgin Mary. There's also an open air chapel. We were given free time on our tour so hubby & I made the most of it. Not much more to do once you've climbed up to see the Virgin Mary and you've taken your scenic photos. Bathrooms, small gift shop, and a cafe. Our group queued up and went down the cable car to our tour bus.

I love funiculars so it's hard for me to give this anything less than five stars. I started at the…read moretop of the mountain after riding up in the cable cars then took the funicular back down. Note that those two means of transport leave you in very different places at the bottom of the mountain. There were some nice cats to pet while waiting in line for about 10 minutes for the car to arrive. The views at the top are amazing so don't forget to look around while you're up at the peak. The ride was about as bumpy as you'd expect. We had a brief pause about halfway down and then we passed the other car that was making the ascent. The incline is fairly steep so each car gets excellent views without being blocked by someone's head in front of you. If you've been to Pittsburgh, this one is definitely a longer ride than either of the inclines there so enjoy the journey!

Do not visit! Not worth it! I was robbed here around noon time on Saturday. Someone grabbed by…read morenecklace off my neck and ran away. I'm not sure how they got it off my neck but they must have been following/casing me for a while.

Such a lovely part of the city! It's a great place to spend the afternoon. You don't even need to…read morego to the top. There is plenty of space to sit and enjoy a picnic with the family. Vendors sell snacks and drinks. It's an easy walk up the hill. You can choose to walk around the hill at a gentle incline or you can use the stairs to climb up to the top. The stairs are steep and the walkway is very narrow at times. With only a small, old rail to hold on to. The top of the Castillo Hidalgo can be very packed as it is not meant for a lot of people. The view is amazing! Definitely recommend for families as well.

If you're a tourist, you must visit this place! It's one of the most important places in Santiago…read moreand it's got a ton of history. Also, its architecture is wonderful: this train station has an interesting european style that seems frozen in time. Not only the trains make this place fascinating, but also the shops around. There are many traditional shops with beautiful crafts. You can look all you want, but be careful if you want to take photos. Security there is not very good and you can be mugged easily.

Located between the Baquedano metro station and the river, this roundabout surrounds a big statue…read moreof a dude on a horse. The traffic at the roundabout seems orderly enough. As a pedestrian, it helps to know that the drivers will stop for the light, more or less. The man on the horse is Manuel Jesús Baquedano González (1823-1897). A Santiago native, he was a Chilean soldier and politician, briefly serving as President of Chile during the civil war of 1891. This is where Parque Forestal, Balmaceda Park and Bustamante Park converge and is apparently the epicenter of the city of Santiago.

This is the epicenter of the city. It is the gathering place for many events, protests, parades as…read morewell as celebrations. Supposedly, in the past, Chileans used Plaza Italia as a reference point separating what was considered the "upper class" barrios with those of the "lower class". The Plaza was the meeting point, unifying the two social classes. Now days, depending on why you are coming, you will be met with many different types of people-but always fully charged with emotion. If you have the opportunity while you are here, I definitely recommend coming to Plaza Italia after a big national football match. It is one of the things that I love most about living here; their love for football transcends class, race and gender and you can see it best when celebrating with everyone in Plaza Italia, one of the focal points of the city, after "la roja" wins. Please keep in mind it can get a little dangerous (just like any big celebration). Even though the police are present and have cut off traffic to the surrounding roads, the possibility of getting pick-pocketed or being a bystander of a small "pelea" are very likely. Just be aware of your surroundings and everything will be fine.

I'm very disappointed that my digital camera decided now was the time to corrupt the images I…read morecaptured as this is a lovely fountain in downtown Santiago. The characters pictured are strong and well done, clear crisp lines and quite powerful. The fountain is located in the Parque Forestal near Plaza Baquedano. It was designed by a German sculptor and donated by the Chilean-German community on the centennial of Chile, inaugurated on October 13, 1912. Look for the condor with its wings spread. The condor is the national bird of Chile.

This was the best (and most unique) museum I visited during my trip to Santiago. Be forewarned that…read moreit is a very heavy museum and many Chileans that I observed while visiting were noticeably upset and moved by the subject material. It reminded me of the holocaust museum in Washington DC. I feel fortunate that I was able to visit and I had nothing else on my agenda for the afternoon. A Spanish speaker can easily spend a full day exploring all of the exhibits here and watching all of the content that is available. The do have an audio guide that is available in English and other languages. I also found myself using Google Translate to help with many of the signs and exhibits. Do not miss this stop while you are in Santiago. It is easily accessible from the metro and completely free to enter. Highly recommended!

One of the rare museums that's actually free…read more We went as I was very curious to learn about a dark time in Chile's history: Pinochet's regime. Spent probably a couple of hours there. They offer free Wi-Fi and a downloadable app that essentially gives you an audio tour. When we went, one of the three floors was closed, as was part of an exhibit on the first floor. Nevertheless, with the amount of information found at the museum, it may be for the best. The subject matter is rough. There are signs everywhere warning adults to accompany children, and considering that there are objects from children back in the day, unaware of when they would, if ever, see their parents again I can understand why. A somber and humbling experience, be prepared to think and maybe even walk away sooner than you think. This isn't for the faint of heart. Pinochet's regime was no joke, and to this day, Chile is still trying to rise above it.