Traveling with Children in Santiago

Chile's Capital and the Surrounding Areas Offer Loads for Families

Feb 17, 2009

There are a lot of exciting discoveries for families traveling with children in Santiago, Chile, from museums and city sights to beaches, vineyards and the Andes.

Cerro San Cristobal

For a good overview of Santiago, take an inexpensive cable car ride (teleférico) up Cerro San Cristobal in the Bellavista neighborhood. At the top are gardens, snack kiosks and a path leading to the highest point of the hill where stands a 72-foot/22-meter high statue of the Virgin Mary. Follow signs to the funicular, a short but excitingly steep train ride that takes you back down the other side of the hill to the entrance of the national zoo (Zoologico Nacional de Chile). The zoo provides the chance to see some of Chile’s native fauna, including Magellanic penguins, pudus (similar to small deer), and the Andean condor.

Downtown Sites

Just off Santiago’s main square, the Plaza de Armas, the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art displays fascinating artifacts of South American indigenous peoples from the period before the arrival of the first Europeans. This sweeping visual tour of the continent is better for families with older children.

Kids will love a visit to the Mercado Central in the city center, a colorful (and odor-ful!) fish and produce market displaying some unusual sea creatures like shark and giant Centolla crabs. Enjoy lunch in one of the seafood restaurants inside.

Chilean Souvenirs

Parents can shop for locally-produced crafts at Los Dominicos artesans’ bazaar. This wonderful open-air marketplace is built like a traditional village with meandering dirt paths and whitewashed buildings. The market has a great pet shop, a caged enclosure with colorful birds, and small cafes selling ice cream and regional cuisine. Be sure to try the empanadas, savory baked turnovers filled with cheese or ground beef, and freshly-made fruit juices (chirimoya is a real treat).

Head to the Andes

Less than an hour outside Santiago is the nature sanctuary of Yerba Loca, located on the curvy mountain road to Chile’s famed ski resorts. Horses and guides are available for rent near the sanctuary’s picnic area, and trail rides offer spectacular views of the Andes. Younger children will have fun exploring hiking trails along the rushing river.

Discover Chile’s Beaches

There are a number of nice beach towns about 2 hours from Santiago. Colchagua, Zapallar and Maintencillo have the cleanest beaches and a good range of accommodations and restaurants. A favorite pastime is riding horses on the beach—for rentals, look for signs that say cabalgata.

Chilean Wine Tours

Check out one of Chile’s wine-producing regions. The closest wineries are only an hour away in the Maipo Valley, including the well-known Concha y Toro and Santa Rita Vineyards. Both offer tours, tastings and fine food. For a family-friendly experience, head south to the town of Santa Cruz in the Colchagua Valley, just under 2 hours from Santiago. The Museo de Colchagua, located in the center of Santa Cruz, is one of the finest history museums in Chile, with plenty of interesting displays for children. As for family vineyard tours, a good bet is the Viu Manent Winery just outside of Santa Cruz, which conducts the tour in an antique horse-drawn carriage.

The copyright of the article Traveling with Children in Santiago in Chile Travel is owned by Kate Rodriguez. Permission to republish Traveling with Children in Santiago in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.