Travel: SFO to Santiago, Chile Oct 23- 26/2025
- Lili Naveh
- Oct 26
- 13 min read
Updated: 5 minutes ago
This trip to Antarctica and other parts of Chile includes posts from Oct 22nd -Nov23rd
Since reading the book of Chilean author -Isabel Allende, few years ago, named:"A Long Petals of the Sea"
along with Chilean poet Pablo Neruda's magical poems, (1971 winner of Nobel Prize for Literature)
I was intrigued to tour this geographically elongated, diverse landscape - the country of Chile of
in South America
Actually, the original air tickets we had for October's travel were designated for Europe and Israel, However they were diverted for this trip to the south-end of the planet, including a cruise to the continent of Antarctica.
Considering the grave Israeli/Hamas war state of the past 2 years, as well as the tsunami-rise in antisemitism and hate against Israel, also in Europe, the change of destination, was an obvious, thus re- routing our plans to chill in Antarctica. Somehow under the bleak state of human's hateful violent affairs , Penguins and Polar seals seemed to be more human to encounter, over containing man-unkind endeavors .
Flying out from SFO to LA and connecting there via Lima Peru, we finally landed after about long 15 air-hours, on Oct. 23 at 6:30 am, in Santiago Chile .
Luckily all flights on the 3 segments, left and arrived on time and proceeded smoothly.
Chile: the country of Volcanoes, Glaciers' lakes and Desert
The southernmost long coastal country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, stretches along a narrow strip of land between the Andes Mountains to the east and and the Pacific Ocean to the west
Located at the Southern Hemisphere, pencil-thin Chile extends approximately for 4,300 km from the 17th parallel south to the 57th parallel south, placing its entire territory south of the equator.
This land mostly covered with mountains, bearing incredible and unusual contrasts, including numerous Volcanoes, beaches, fjords, deep sea channels, huge glaciers, icebergs - and the Atacama Desert - a virtually rain-less plateau made up of salt basins geysers and lava flows. It also controls several Pacific islands, and Easter Island,
Set along a highly seismic and volcanic zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire,, the Andes are geologically a young mountain range that includes over 600 volcanoes (within Chile alone), many of them active, and almost 10% have erupted (at least once) within the last century.
Chile's high seismic activity is caused by its location on a convergent plate boundary, where the oceanic Nazca Plate is subducting beneath the continental South American Plate.
This constant collision and subduction generate powerful earthquakes and are responsible for shaping the country's landscape, which is part of the seismically active Ring of Fire.
The area is also a triple junction, where the Antarctic Plate also meets the South American and Nazca plates.
Spain conquered and colonized the region in the mid-16th c, replacing Inca rule; however, they failed to conquer the autonomous tribal Mapuche people who inhabited what is now south-central Chile.
In 1520, while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the southern passage now named after him -the Strait of Magellan thus becoming the first European to set foot on what is now Chile
Chile of about 18 million in population, is a high-income economy and is one of the most economically and socially stable nations in South America
Chile is characterized by 4 main distinctive districts
*Atacama Desert - North
*Central Valley - Santiago
*Lake District - Chiloe Il
*Patagonia - Port Arenas - south
We managed to visit all 4 parts, after the cruise to Antarctica, however our plans to spend longer in Patagonia - the southern part of the country, got a bit intercepted, due to an unexpected prolonged stay in Antarctica, as were canceled our plans to spend additional 2 days in Santiago, at the end of the trip.
Santiago - The Capital
The population of the Santiago Metropolitan Region in Chile is about 7 million thus it is also one of the most populous in Latin America and a home to half of the country’s population, while the core Santiago commune is much smaller of around 400,000.
Santiago nests in a valley by the canalized Mapocho River, at an alleviation of 1,870 m surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range.
The river flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two
The city was founded as Santiago del Nuevo Extremo (“Santiago of the New Frontier”) in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. The area was inhabited then by the indigenous Picunche people, who lived under Inca cultural influenced and political domination since the 15th c
Surprising, the city gives the impression of cosmopolitan, energetic, sophisticated and worldly. 2-3 days of touring/ staying in the city will suffice.
The city’s skyline, which offers assorted panoramas and versatility is dotted with sleek modern skyscrapers, that stands in contrast to its historical neighborhoods and stately colonial architecture.
The city is spread out, made up of many neighborhoods, and thought is quite segregated,, original art galleries, innovative design stores, central market, many malls, fine museums arts & crafts fairs, as well as trendy restaurants, bars and coffee shops, can be found everywhere.
Best panoramic view of the city, is offered from San Cristobal Hill It rises to 880m
Barrio Bellavista’ is known for its nightlife, colorful houses, funky cafes&dance clubs
Elegant Alonso de Córdoba is famed for shooing as is also ritzy Vivo Panoramico Mall.
And Nueva Costanera, a prestigious avenue renowned for its tallest buildings in Latin America, lines up a concentration of luxury boutiques and gourmet restaurants, as is also known the upscale neighborhood of Isidora Goyenechea Las Condes were we were lucky to dine with Alex & Julie
(more)
Alex and his wife Julie, from Santiago, who were introduced to us by their lovely daughter Karina, and who kindly helped us to rearrange our touring plans of Chile, at the last minute, offered to meet and we had a wonderful dinner together as well as were infused, with most poignant helpful directives. Karin- their daughter and her family moved from Santiago to our neighborhood several years ago, and she was kind to connect us with her Chilean- based parents, for which we are so grateful.
Old Historic Center
As the first 2 nights' accommodation prior to embarking the Antarctica cruise, were spent on our own at the, De Baines Hotel, in Santiago's city Center, we enjoyed walking freely, exploring by foot, this more dense bustley colonial part of the city. Outside of the downtown area, that past is less present, as the areas are less conducive to walking,
The modern spread out neighborhoods of the city. towards the east developed long after the original conquistadores had died.
De Baines Hotel - New Great location hotel ,
The new Hilton (opened Dec 2024) It is a Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World . Accommodation and Restaurant food are great. It is highly recommend
Near the Hotel is the impressive Municipal Theater National Opera (1857)
The center of Santiago - the downtown area, is the traditional financial downtown where the history of both Santiago, and Chile were founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia,. It features commercial street cultural places, historic and public buildings, colonial architecture, including Cerro Santa Lucia (the place where the city was founded), .
Santa Lucia Hill. with its Hidalgo Castle
is a small hill in the center, very near to the hotel which is also known in Mapuche as Huelén Hill, It offers.
wonderful panoramic views of the city.
Pedro de Valdivia conquered the hill, on December 13, 1540. That day celebrates "Santa Lucía."
The hill has an altitude of 629 m and a height of 69 m over the surrounding area. and is a remnant of a volcano 15 million years old.
It is a true fun to climb up the hill's narrow steps leading to its top, enjoying the colonial architecture ornate facades of its structures, the intriguing statues fountains and lush park's vegetation
Fort Hidalgo was built in 1816 as a defensive point. to protect the city.
On the other side, the hillside terrain was used as a "cemetery for the dissidents",
The hill is one of the most frequented public parks by local and foreign tourists, as it is one of the most recognizable icons in the capital and in the country.
Neptuno Fountain and Terrace on the Hill
Castillo Hidalgo
The elegant historic iconic castle, painted in yellow is locked behind fenced gate , can only be seen from the outside and now serves as an event center requiring pre-booking.
Views from the Hill
A 'cool" neighborhood under the shadow of the Hill
is an active cultural, gastronomic and tourist center, close to the historic commercial down town, but safer, and thus more preferred by tourist to stay over at, during visits to town..
Dominated by the hill of Santa Lucía Park, Bohemian Lastarria is lined up by leafy streets, boutique hotels, hip bars , and trendy restaurants and street vendors selling local handicrafts and souvenirs.
Plaza de Arms - Main Square
'Plaza de Armas', -“square of weapons,” Post Office
is the main square of Santiago, the heart of the city . It is where the original location for the base of power was around the Plaza de Armas,
The concept behind this city center dates back hundreds of years, to when Spanish conquistadors were establishing and laying out the grid for cities in the Americas.
Royal Court
A single city block would often be intentionally left empty and surrounded by important government offices, cathedrals, and the like. In the event of an attack, the city’s population could easily gather there to be armed and protected.
Today the main square, is still surrounded by some of the original buildings from that period: largely completed in the 19th c including:
the Metropolitan Cathedral, (1748)
the Palace of the Royal High Court, (1804) which houses, since 1982, the National History Museum of Chile,(Palacio de la Real Audiencia),
the Main Post Office
and other buildings of historical interest.
Metropolitan Cathedral Archbishop Palace (1870)
Constitution Square
The Constitution Square a full block in the heart of the Civic Quarter, is set on the grounds of the former Ministry of War and the Navy headquarters, where military parades with paved & grass sections and civic monuments are locate, right in front of the northern facade of the Palacio de la Moneda - , which is surrounded by other government buildings renovated in 1983
The La Moneda Palace (1805) which dominates the square, is the main neo-classical work in Chile. and most representative symbol of the country’s political history..
It is the seat of the president of the Republic of Chile. and also houses the offices of 3 cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency, and General Secretariat of the Gov.
La Moneda Palace, also known as “the Mint,” -a key historic site, for coin production, it later became the official residence of the president of Chile and the headquarters of several government ministries.
A monument of Salvador Allende
(1908-1973) a socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until his death in 1973.
He was Chile’s first socialist president.
who sought to nationalize major industries, expand education, and improve the living standards of the working class. thus clashed with the right-wing parties
On 11 September 1973, the military moved to oust Allende's democratically elected government in a coup d'état supported by the CIA. Declassified documents showed that US president Richard Nixon and his national security advisor Henry Kissinger were aware of the military's plans to overthrow Allende in the days before the coup d'état.
As troops surrounded La Moneda Palace, Allende gave his last speech vowing not to resign. Later that day, Allende died by suicide in his office;[ The exact circumstances of his death are still disputed. Pinochet's military dictatorship took over until 1989
'La Moneda' Square
.Anther beautiful part of the historical center to walk through is Montt-Varas Square named for 2 important political members, which in their honor, also 2 southern port towns : Puero Montt and Puerto Varas - were dedicated. We later visited on this trip
Plaza Montt-Varas
A beautiful public square surrounded by heritage buildings, of Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia de Santiago a stunning neoclassical building that houses the Supreme Court of Chile
Montt-Varas Monument at the Plaza
Manuel Montt (1809-1880) a statesman and scholar and Antonio Varas (1817 – 1886) were prominent Chilean politicians who were close associates, with Varas serving as Minister of the Interior under President Montt - who served as the 5th President of Chile from 1851 to 1861.
Their close relationship led to the formation of the National Party (or Montt-Varist party in 1857.
Their legacy is visible today in the cities of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas, both named in their honor for their role in the colonization and development of southern Chile
One museum worth visiting if time permits, is the Pre-Columbian Art Museum
The Pre-Columbian Art Museum is considered to be one of the best museums in Chile with diverse assemble of pottery from most major pre-Columbian cultures including Maya stone columns, towering Mapuche totems and a Andean textile, as well as a display of wooden vomit spatulas used by Amazonian shamans before taking psychoactive powders.
Photos by Tina
Tie building itself was erected according to drawings by the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca. who worked at the service of the Spanish Empire, mainly in Chile
During the Republic, it was occupied by the National Library, and from 1845 onward, it became the seat of the Courts of Justice until a fire destroyed its facilities and archives in 1968.
Photos by Tina
Pablo Neruda's Home
La Chascona - is the Santiago's home-turned-museum of Chile's national poet/diplomat Pablo Neruda
At the foot of the San Cristóbal Hill, in the heart of Barrio Bellavista (Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192), Pablo Neruda bought a land plot and built this one of his 3 houses in 1953, dedicated to his lover/third wife Matilde Urrutia
(we missed visiting this one )
The other 2 houses are
.La Sebastiana. Located in Valparaiso (Ferrari 692), (that one we visited)
.Isla Negra - Located in the shores of Isla Negra (Poeta Neruda s/n, El Quisco), this was Pablo Neruda’s favorite of his houses and his most intimate piece of work. Built
All About Food
Located across the Mapocho River, on the site where the Plaza de Abastos wholesale market of Santiago's sprawling vegetable market was located from 1817 on-wards,
The current structure opened in 1872 and housed in a building in which its main feature is a cast-iron roof ,
The metal structure stands on a square base and features a vaulted ceiling. Its intricate roof design consists of a central pyramidal roof crowned by a domed tower, which is surrounded by 8 smaller roofs with a two-tier design. The structure is enclosed by a masonry building.
One of the most characteristic gastronomical centers of Santiago, whose restaurants offers typical Chilean food, mainly based on seafood and fresh fish. It has acquired more notoriety in 2012, when National Geographic chose it the fifth best food market in the world.
Restaurants Recommendations
Mestizo - A trendy huge Sea Food place we enjoyed eating dinner at
+56974776093 Park Bicetenario in the Vitacura Neighborhood
However because of its location inside Bi-Centennial Park - it is more charming to eat there in day light
It is not far from the iconic Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Pinpilinpausha - Spanish/Basque where we dined with Alex and Julie
232754303, Av Isidora Goyenechea 2900 Las Condes Neighborhood -
DonDoh - richly Asian-inspired dishes.
+56 2 3210 2289 Av. Nueva Costanera Vitacura,
Baco - Wine & Bistro
Nueva de Lyon 113, Providencia Neighborhood
Rivoli - Italian Roman and Lazio cuisine
+56 9 5342 8579 Nueva de Lyon 79, local 10
Bocanariz wine and bar
+56 9 3911 0332 José Victorino Lastarria 276,
Liguria mix of local cuisine
Av. Providencia 1353,
Moving to another Hotel
On the third day of our stay in Santiago, (Oct 25th) and a day prior to embarking on the cruise to Antarctica, the cruise line - Silver Sea checked us into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Silver Sea is a luxury cruise line and expedition travel brand, founded in 1994 by the Vlasov Group of Monaco and the Lefebvre family of Rome, it pioneered all-inclusive cruising with its first ship, Silver Cloud. Since July 2020, it has been owned by Royal Caribbean Group
The iconic tower building in the city, and the first Mandarin Oriental in South America. is located far from down town and in a more upscale but boring neighborhood, suburb at Avenida Presidente Kennedy Las Condes,
However it is surrounded mainly by highways with almost nothing to
do/see outside of the hotel
Most tourists like this luxary hotel accomodation, however I thought that staying in Santiago's colonial downtown is much more interesting and more to do.
Walking along the one Shopping street close to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
The bus ride from the hotel to the airport for the charter flight to Port Williams, from where the cruise was due to start on Oct 26th, was scheduled to take us only at 2;30pm in the afternoon
Thus the late start in the day, aloud us a morning stroll through the prestigious Alonso De Cordova street
It is renowned for its upscale dining, trendy cafes, wine bars, art galleries and stylish boutiques. all the way to the beautiful landscaped Bicentennial Park, which we enjoyed
walking through, on the weekend when the park was full with local families and children.
Located on the downward slope of San Cristóbal Hill, north of Santiago, the Bicentenario Park, is one of the largest parks of the city, a gorgeous peaceful urban oasis alongside the Río Mapocho
It was designed by the Chilean architect Teodoro Fernández and the first phase opened its gates in 2007. It features walking/ bike paths, water lilies ponds outdoor gyms and state-of-the-art playground equipment for kids.
This verdant urban oasis was created, as the name suggests, in celebration of the Chilean bicentennial.
The peaceful location alongside the Río Mapocho is lined up with variety of plants
large grass loans, swimming and flying life creatures, food trucks and
adjacent are also some good restaurants.
Upon returning to the hotel, we were notified that due to icy weather conditions in
Port Williams ,the chartered planes were held back for 2 hours, thus departure time from the hotel to the private airport's lounge, was delayed as well.
During the delay and wait an unexpected lunch was served to us at the hotel.
Finally much later in the afternoon, the 190 cruise expedition's participants were loaded into 9 buses, and the long bus caravan headed to Santiago's airport to board the 3 chartered planes to Puerto Williams, where the cruise ship was docked waiting for us.
And last, below is one of my favorite of Pablo Neruda's poems
"Slowly is dying out" or "You start dying slowly"
"Slowly is dying out" ... (from Spanish)
You start dying slowly ;
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly :
When you kill your self-esteem,
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly ;
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly :
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly :
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain
If you do not go after a dream
If you do not allow yourself
At least once in your lifetime
To run away from sensible advice
Don't let yourself die slowly
Do not forget to be happy!
A twist in the Poen's Orign.....
Apparently, I later discovered, that the poem often shared as "Slowly is dying out" or "You start dying slowly" is NOT by Pablo Neruda, but by Brazilian writer Martha Medeiros, though widely mis-attributed to Neruda online.
Medeiros's original Portuguese poem, "A Morte Devagar," discusses how life fades when one stops traveling, reading, feeling passion, or taking risks, emphasizing continuous personal growth, a theme resonant with Neruda but distinct in authorship.
Departing Santiago
To Be Continue.......
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