12 Best Sights in Santiago Centro, Santiago

This giant cultural center just steps from the Universidad Católica metro houses some of Santiago's most interesting indigenous arts exhibits and offers a packed cultural itinerary, including theater. There is a large atrium between the two halves of the building with a colorful skylight, restaurant, and café. Outside the building, to the north side is an amphitheater that is occasionally used to host events. An antiques market takes place on the west side of the building Tuesday through Saturday, if it's not raining. Tip: A helpful tourism office is located here.

This square has been the symbolic heart of Chile—as well as its political, social, religious, and commercial center—since Pedro de Valdivia established the city on this spot in 1541. The Palacio de los Gobernadores, the Palacio de la Real Audiencia, and the Municipalidad de Santiago front the square's northern edge. The dignified cathedral graces the western side of the square. The plaza has historically been very lively, with chess players in a gazebo, street performers playing in the bandstand, and caricaturists. Recent improvements have increased the number of trees and installed Wi-Fi.

Housed in what was once the ornate Palacio de los Gobernadores, this building dating from 1715 is one of the most beautiful post offices you are likely to see. It was reconstructed by Ricardo Brown in 1882 after being ravaged by fire and is a fine example of neoclassical architecture, with a glass-and-iron roof added in the early 20th century. It has occasional exhibits in the main hall, plus an extensive collections of stamps from around the world and other postal and telegraph memorabilia in the adjoining Postal and Telegraph Museum (free admission).

Once the meeting place for the National Congress (the legislature moved to Valparaíso in 1990), this palatial neoclassical building became the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a time but was returned to the Senate for meetings after the Ministry moved to the former Hotel Carrera in Plaza de la Constitución in December 2005. The original structure on the site, the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, was destroyed by a fire in 1863 in which 2,000 people perished. Two bells from that church now grace the elaborate gardens. To coordinate a tour, email [email protected] with at least two days' notice. More formal attire is appreciated, and neither shorts nor baseball caps are permitted. The tour is free and lasts approximately 30 minutes. 

This lovely facade on Calle Londres holds dark secrets: Londres 38 was a clandestine torture center for 98 people for three years during Chile's 27-year dictatorship, beginning in 1973. Rooms include a tiny bathroom, where multiple DNA was recovered that helped to identify victims; a video shows the work forensic scientists undertook. Simple signs add to the sad and dignified ambience that holds a torrid past and now plays its part as a space for memory.

Conquistador Pedro de Valdivia declared in 1541 that a house of worship would be constructed at this site bordering the Plaza de Armas. The first adobe building burned to the ground, and the structures that replaced it were destroyed by the earthquakes of 1647 and 1730. The finishing touches of the neoclassical cathedral standing today were added in 1789 by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca. Be sure to check out the baroque interior stained-glass-topped arched colonnade, and look out for the sparkling silver altar of a side chapel in the south nave.

Today's city hall for central Santiago can be found on the site of the colonial city hall and jail. The original structure, built in 1552, survived until a devastating earthquake in 1730. Joaquín Toesca, the architect who also designed the presidential palace and completed the cathedral, reconstructed the building in 1785, but it was destroyed by fire a century later. In 1891, Eugenio Joannon, who favored an Italian Renaissance style, erected the structure standing today. On the facade hangs an elaborate coat of arms presented by Spain. The interior now houses a tourist office as well as a small gallery and souvenir shop. The tourism office runs free tours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 am with no previous registration required.

This well-endowed collection of artifacts of the region's indigenous peoples, much of it donated by the collector Sergio Larraín García-Moreno, is displayed in the beautifully restored Royal Customs House that dates from 1807. The permanent collection, on the upper floor, showcases ceramics and textiles from Mexico to Patagonia. Unlike many of the city's museums, the displays here are well labeled in Spanish and English. Guided tours in English are available at no extra cost, but must be booked in advance. There is a shop with a good selection of on-topic books and an airy café as well.

The colonial-era Palacio de la Real Audiencia served as the meeting place for Chile's first Congress in July 1811. The building then functioned as a telegraph office before the museum moved here in 1911. It's worth the small admission charge to see the interior of the 200-year-old structure, where exhibits tracing Chile's history from the preconquest period to the 20th century are arranged chronologically in rooms centered on a courtyard. Keep an eye out for Allende's eyeglasses. Ask for the English brochure and free audio guide, and if you are not heights-averse, take a tour up the tower for a bird's-eye view of the Plaza de Armas, cathedral, and downtown Santiago.

During Augusto Pinochet's rule, countless human-rights demonstrations were held outside the Courts of Justice, which house the country's Supreme Court. The imposing neoclassical interior is worth a look, but the guards reserve the right to admission and prefer more formal attire (no shorts, flip-flops, tank tops). It is open for visits from 9 to 2.

Named for Chile's first president and national hero, whose troops were victorious against the Spanish, this park has plenty of open space for everything from ball games to military parades and a dedicated picnic area complete with barbecues. Street vendors sell volantines (kites) in the park year-round; breezy September and early October comprise prime kite-flying season, especially around September 18, Chile's national holiday. There are pedalcab and rollerblade rentals on weekends, a competitive rollerblade track, and a terrain park with a deep bowl for skateboarders and rollerbladers. The park has a beautiful covered pool, which costs 7,000 pesos for an hour-long pass; goggles and bathing cap are required. Both the Movistar Arena and Cúpola Multiespacio theater are also located at this park.

A meatpacking district that’s slowing undergoing gentrification, Barrio Franklin hands its streets over to pedestrians and turns into a vast flea market on weekends. Take the metro to Estación Franklin, then start walking down Calle Placer. Here, you can pick up anything from wine to vinyls, vintage clothes, and household supplies from hawkers who have lovingly laid out their wares on a mat on the sidewalk to 300 established storefronts such as antiques dealers located within old warehouses. Check out Factoria Franklin, home to handcraft gin distillery Quintal and AFA Galería art gallery at Franklin 741. There’s also plenty of street food to be enjoyed, from lomito completo sandwiches to small bowls of ceviche. The vibe is relaxed and live bands often perform a set. With plenty to feast your eyes on, as with any busy space, keep an eye on personal belongings.