Lastarria and Barrio París-Londres

Feels:

Cafés, bookshops and museums at the foot of the hill

Suits:

First-timers, walkers, café lovers

Best time:

Any time; lively in the evening

Watch out for:

The hill after dark.

In short:

Cerro Santa Lucía, cafés, bookshops, museums and Parque Forestal within a few blocks of a Metro stop.

Four clusters cover a first visit: the centre (Plaza de Armas and Mercado Central), Lastarria and the hill, Bellavista at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal, and Providencia with the Costanera Center tower. Metro line 1 runs east–west along the Alameda from Universidad de Chile to Los Leones and Tobalaba; the rest are short rides or walks.

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Santiago districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

• First visit

  best of 2

  The hill, museums and the Metro are all within 10 minutes.

• Families

  2nd of 2

  Walkable, but streets are busy and stairs on the hill.

  Better for this: Providencia

• Light sleepers

  2nd of 2

  Busy on weekend nights; rooms at the back are quieter.

  Better for this: Providencia

• Night owls

  best of 2

  Cafés and bars are a walk away; the livelier Bellavista is a short car ride.

• On a budget

  best of 2

  Mid-range hotels and hostels; a few cheaper apartments.

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

• Cerro Santa LucíaGo

  A small hill-park with stairs, fountains and a view of the centre: go mid-morning in daylight, allow 45 minutes, and do not go after dark.

  Hours:

  Roughly 09:00 to early evening; hours shift with the season.Roughly 9:00 AM to early evening; hours shift with the season.(check)

  Entry:

  Free

• Museo Nacional de Bellas ArtesGo

  A calm, free-or-cheap hour in Parque Forestal: a 1910 palace of Chilean painting with a shaded park outside; go on a hot afternoon or a wet morning.

  Hours:

  Usually Tuesday to Sunday, about 10:00–18:30 (check).Usually Tuesday to Sunday, about 10:00 AM–6:30 PM (check).(check)

  Entry:

  Free

• GAM (Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral)Go

  A free, air-conditioned cultural centre on the Alameda: stop for the galleries, the plazas, a coffee and a look at the program; check for a low-cost evening concert.

  Hours:

  Public areas from about 10:00; evening shows later (check).Public areas from about 10:00 AM; evening shows later (check).(check)

  Entry:

  Free

What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.

• Confitería Torres

  A historic café on the Alameda (open since 1879) famous for the barros luco steak-and-cheese sandwich: a good afternoon stop; go outside lunch and confirm hours before you walk over.

  Order: Barros luco: Ask 'un barros luco'.

  Price: Chileans pay similar prices; this is a mid-priced historic café.

• Emporio La Rosa

  An ice-cream and coffee café on Merced in Lastarria: a good mid-afternoon stop after Cerro Santa Lucía; expect a short queue at the counter.

  Order: Helado: Point and say the number of scoops.

  Price: A scoop costs the same for everyone at the counter.

• Menú del día lunch around Lastarria

  The set weekday lunch (menú del día) at a restaurant around Lastarria: a starter, a main and a drink for about CLP 8,000–12,000; go at 13:00–14:30 and confirm the restaurant locally.

  Order: Menú del día: Ask 'qué incluye?'

  Price: Locals pay CLP 6,000–10,000 for a set lunch in less central streets.

• Lastarria$$

  First-timers: walkable to the hill, cafés and the Metro; choose a hotel on or just off Lastarria with a 24-hour desk, and use a car at night from the door.

  Rooms: CLP 12,000–25,000 dorm bed · CLP 40,000–65,000 private room (check)

  Skip this if: Steep and busy streets around the hill; noise at weekends.

  3–6 min walk to Lastarria, Santa Lucía and the GAM · 18–25 min walk to Plaza de Armas and Mercado Central · 18–25 min walk to Bellavista and Cerro San Cristóbal

Lines from the Santiago drinking guide that name this district.

• Lastarria · Cafés, wine bars, small bars · until about 01:00Calmer and more walkable; the streets around Plaza Mulato Gil are busy in the evening.

Markets and shopping streets from the Santiago buying guide that name this district.

• Centro Artesanal Santa Lucía · Wool, leather and lapis lazuli · Daytime (check) · haggling: lightSmall stalls near the hill.

Nearest arrival point: Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL): about 15 km in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 45–80 minArturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL): about 9.2 mi in a straight line; the usual ride to the centre takes 45–80 min.

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.

In the day plans: Day 1 — Cerro Santa Lucía, the museum and a market lunch (Santiago in 3 days); Day 3 — Lastarria and Santa Lucía, car to the airport at 14:00 (Santiago in 3 days)

• Santa Lucía terrace

  Light: Mid-morning

  The centre grid and the cathedral spires below.

• Parque Forestal

  Light: Late afternoon

  Shaded lawns with the museum façade behind.

Street names that appear in the addresses of this district’s places and eats: useful to type into a map or show a driver.

• Calle Merced

• Lastarria and Cerro Santa Lucíaday: oknight: ok

  Fine on lit streets; stay off the hill after dark.

• Quiet nights

  Busy on weekend nights; rooms at the back are quieter.

• Nightlife

  Cafés and bars are a walk away; the livelier Bellavista is a short car ride.

• Late arrival

  Hotels usually keep a 24-hour desk; apartments may not.

• Centro (Santiago Centro)Metro or car west, about 12 min
• BellavistaWalk or car north, about 15 min
• ProvidenciaAbout 4 km away in a straight lineAbout 2.5 mi away in a straight line