4 HOURS IN...


SANTIAGO


Margot Bigg discovers the Chilean capital’s rich and varied past, glimpses the Andes and samples the nation’s best-known export


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CHILEAN MUSEUM OF PRE-COLUMBIAN ART Santiago’s European look and feel sets it apart from many of Latin America’s more modern, hectic capitals. Although its colonial history is easily visible in its traditional Spanish architecture, cobblestoned pedestrian streets and spacious plazas, the area’s history dates back thousands of years before the first European settlement. Learn about the country’s rich and


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varied past at the Chilean Museum of pre-Columbian Art, in the centre of the city. Housed in the capital’s former Royal Customs House, completed in 1807, it showcases art, jewellery and objects dating back thousands of years, not only from the Southern Cone but also from across Central and South America and the Caribbean. The newest permanent exhibition, “Chile Before Chile”, explores the country’s indigenous cultures, presenting more than 400 artefacts ranging from shamans’ drums and rattles to traditional funerary statuary. There’s also an impressive textile gallery


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with beautifully preserved fabrics from the Andean region. Guided tours can be arranged in


advance (call +56 2352 7522) or mp3 audio guides are available from the website. Open Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, entry 3,500 pesos (£3.30). Bandera 361; precolombino.cl/en


CATHEDRAL OF SANTIAGO One block from the museum, on the western edge of the main square of Plaza de Armas, sits the gorgeous Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago. Arguably the country’s most important religious building – about two-thirds of Santiguans are Catholic – it was originally constructed in 1561, although the current edifice dates to 1748. One of its most impressive features is the smokey-hued Baroque-meets- neoclassical façade, designed by Italy’s Joaquin Toesca. Inside, the large collection of stained-glass windows cast multicoloured hues across the pews in the late afternoon. The cathedral is also a great place to escape


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the cacophony of street performers and crowds that dominate the plaza during the day. Open daily, free entry. iglesiadesantiago.cl


Santa Lucia, one of the city’s prettiest parks. Pedro de Valdivia, Chile’s first governor, conquered this 629-metre hill on February 12, 1541, founding Santiago in the process. This natural viewpoint was used as a strategic reconnaissance point during the Conquest of Chile that followed. Few remnants of this military past remain, with the hilltop now featuring manicured gardens, statues and ornate fountains. It’s also home to Castillo Hidalgo, which was built as a fortress in 1826 by then governor Marco del Pont and is now an event space. Take a quick hike up the park’s tree- lined footpaths to the summit and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful city views. On clear days, you can often see the peaks of the Andes. There’s a stairway at the corner of Merced and Victoria


3 Visit businesstraveller.com


CERRO SANTA LUCIA A ten-minute walk along Merced Street leads to the base of Cerro


ISTOCK/MARGOT BIGG


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