West and South, Santiago: neighborhood guide

West and South covers everything west and south of downtown: the western districts of Estación Central, Quinta Normal, Pudahuel, Maipú, Cerrillos, Lo Prado and Cerro Navia, and the southern districts of San Miguel, San Joaquín, La Cisterna, La Granja, San Ramón, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Lo Espejo, El Bosque, La Pintana, Pirque, Puente Alto and San Bernardo.

The west is largely residential and keeps growing outward; the old town of Maipú, once separated from Santiago by farmland, is now joined to it. Avenida Pajaritos continues downtown's Alameda westward. The south is the most mixed part of the city, with some of the poorest districts alongside newer middle- and upper-class housing, plus the big malls and the wineries and outdoors of the Maipo river valley.

For a visitor the useful parts are compact: Barrio Brasil and Barrio Yungay just west of downtown, the museum cluster around Parque Quinta Normal and Avenida Matucana, and Estación Central, where you arrive if you come by train. The airport is out west in Pudahuel.

Barrio Brasil is the easiest place to eat in this part of town: a grid of cafés, sandwich places, pizzerias and bars around Plaza Brasil, busy with students and residents. Barrio Yungay, a few blocks north, is quieter and more traditional, with old-school places and a growing café scene.

Around Estación Central and the Alameda you get fast, cheap lunches and market-style food rather than destination dining. In the southern districts, eating is mostly neighbourhood and mall food courts; San Miguel and Gran Avenida have straightforward local places. For a serious restaurant list, cross to Providencia or the East.

Chilean staples to look for: completo (loaded hot dog), pastel de choclo, empanadas, cazuela and fresh seafood. Lunch is the main meal, and many places offer a fixed menú del día at midday for a fraction of dinner prices. Tipping of about 10% is suggested on restaurant bills.

The metro does most of the work. Line 1 runs west through Estación Central and Pajaritos; Line 2 goes south to San Miguel and La Cisterna; Line 5 reaches San Joaquín and La Florida; Line 3 serves Macul, Florida and Puente Alto; and Line 4A links the southern lines at San Ramón and La Granja. For San Bernardo, the local train is the better choice.

Buses fill the gaps, especially in the outer west, where many residential areas have no metro and rush-hour congestion is real. Buy a bip! card for metro and buses; it is the standard way to pay.

From the airport in the western suburbs, use the official airport buses or a taxi or transfer to downtown; allow time in rush hour. If you arrive by train, you land at Estación Central, an Eiffel-designed station past its rail heyday but still worth a look. Driving is possible on the highways radiating from downtown, with electronic TAG tolls.