L'Ambassade Petit Hotel

Activities

• Settle into a sofa by the fire and read up on Santiago - or grab a cup of coffee and set up your laptop by the pool
  
  
• Then sign up for a customised city tour. Must-sees include the historic Plaza de Armas, the throbbing hub of Santiago and bright with tourists, portrait painters, street musicians and old boys playing chess under the shade of tall palm trees. Don’t miss the Palacio de la Real Audiencia on the north side, a beautifully preserved colonial building that houses the Museo Histórico Nacional
  
  
• Take a picnic to the convent gardens of the Church of San Francisco (the oldest standing building in Santiago) and the peaceful Cerro Santa Lucía, loved for its landscaped gardens, swirling paths, terraces, fountains and city views (but best avoided after dark)
  
  
• Cerro San Cristóbal, an 860m hill in the centre of the city, also has great views over Santiago - on a smog-free day you can see the Andes. Walk up to the top or take the funicular railway that leaves from the station at the north end of Pío Nono
  
  
• Walk to the Parque de las Esculturas (sculpture park), where the best of modern Chilean sculpture is displayed amongst trees and green pathways. Entrance is free and there's an international jazz festival in the park every January
  
  
• Along tree-lined Avenida Alonso de Córdoba are the chicest boutiques (Enfit for Brazilian beach wear, Faba for stylish souvenirs, Vetania for silver jewellery), while the Centro de Exposición de Arte Indígena at Alameda 499 teems with sellers of indigenous crafts from the Mapuche, Rapa Nui and Aymara: booth after booth of gorgeous alpaca-wool sweaters and lapis lazuli. If you want market-fresh shellfish and exotic produce, head for the Mercado Central (central market) - and do look up at its fine wrought-iron ceiling, imported from England in the 19th century
  
  
• Santiago's Bellavista quarter (to the west of Providencia) has the colour and bustle that cool and classy Providencia lacks. In the shadow of Cerro San Cristóbal this bohemian enclave - the Latin quarter of Santiago - was once home to artists and poets like Pablo Neruda. It's also the setting for the city’s best restaurants, clubs and bars
  
  
• In Bellavista, take the 1925 funicular to the vast, sprawling Parque Metropolitano for swimming pools, walking trails, a zoo, a botanical garden, picnic grounds, play areas and eateries
  
  
• Then stroll to La Chascona, the quirky home of the legendary Pablo Neruda. Built to resemble a ship, it’s filled with amazing curios collected during his travels