Santiago de Chile

Santiago is a big, bustling and modern city set under the andean peaks. Widely varied in appearance, the face of Santiago could as easily be the bohemian run down cafe as the sleek business centre of the multinationals. Getting around the city is made cimple because of the efficient metro that stops close to most of the main tourist sites and transport hubs. Additionally there are numerous city buses. Santiago, particularly for Latin America is a safe city but street crime and pickpocketing, of course, does exsist. Use common sense and be aware especially if drinking or in crowded, tourist areas where theft is more likely. Santiago is a ...  Read the complete review

Santiago is a little out of sync with the continent in finds itself in. Most South American cities are known for their bustle and ability to scare the living daylights out of freshly arrived travellers, yet Chile's capital has a somewhat restrained and openly friendly atmosphere. Just as well too, because we arrived in the city with barely a word of Spanish and nothing in the way of accommodation booked. Santiago's population of 6 million people is sprawled over a huge geographical area split into 32 districts called comunas. Paradoxically the city centre remains quite accessible by foot and you could easily avoid using the bus system ...  Read the complete review