If you’re a foreigner and this is your first visit to Santiago, pay attention, please…

The first thing is to be patient, because this city is too crowded, and everyone walk careless about other people. Also, you have to be careful, because there are “flaytes” (thieves), and they can steal your cameras, wallets, etc. And never trust someone you don't know, because there are some chileans who wants to defraud foreigners, charging more money than usual in services like taking photos or driving a cab, for example.

… but stay calm, Santiago also has good things.

Santiago isn’t a touristic city like Valparaiso or Chiloé, but it has some beatiful and funny places where you can spend a good time with your friends...

1. Bellas Artes Museum/Forestal Park: Both are in the center of

Santiago. You can go there by Subway (Bellas Artes station). The Museum

is awesome and very pretty, there are old and new paintings, and beatiful

sculptures. The Forestal park is perfect if you want to walk, or drive a

bike, because it is a large zone with big trees and child games. In

weekends, you can go there and watch cultural shows made for young

people, like juggling or making people laugh dressed like a clown.

2. Cajón del Maipo: A beatiful and natural place in the south of Santiago. You can go there to camp and to walk knowing the nature. Also you can do extreme Sports, like “rafting” in a river, “canopy” or “climbing”.

3. Plaza de Armas: If you want to know the center of Santiago, go to Plaza de Armas. You can visit the “Catedral de Santiago”, “Correos de Chile” and also there are sculptures, places to eat, paintiers who sell they work and draftsmen who can draw a cartoon of you.

4. San Cristóbal Hill: This hill has many funny places like a swimming pool, a zoo, a mini-park called “Jardín Japonés”, picnic areas, incredibles views of Santiago and a big statue of a Vrigin on top of the Hill. You can go there in a car, walking, on a bike, or in “funicular” (cabins that go up and down trough rails). The other funny activity that you can do is to raise on “teleférico” (cabins like eggs) that transport you form one place of the hill to other through the air (with cables)

5. Mahuida Park: This park is on “La Reina”, the East of

Santiago. Like San Cristóbal Hill, you can go there and do

many things because is too big. But the funny activities you

can do are: Paintball (a “war game” with paint balls guns),

or fly on helicopter (only if you have enough money, haha).

Also you can go to the hint of sled or do Bungy.

If you didn’t like my options, well… search for other touristic guide, haha!