Santiago
- RetiredCormac
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Day 1
Arriving at the Santiago departures area, we were immediately met by the ever-present onslaught of taxi drivers and their various slightly dubious offers.
It was a bit easier to find our way around the airport this time as it was actually now our third visit - we had used the domestic terminal to access Easter Island, so we were starting to relax a little more and not everything was shiny and new to us.
We avoided the chaos and hunted down an Uber instead — it’s a known and trusted ride for us.
Uber was as expected - simple. By the time we reached the hotel, Hilton Ola Providencia we were pretty drained, and the bar was closed, so it didn’t take long before we were in bed.
Day 2
Up early and straight out for a walk - without a plan - just google maps and 100% charge on my phone. Our first stop was the cable car up the hill/mountain overlooking Santiago, home to the enormous statue of Mary watching over the city. The views across Santiago were impressive - though everything was quite small, on account of it being far away.
We stopped for a big lunch at Muu Grill - I had a kebab - one of those skewers that hang - made of mixed meat. We then headed to an unexpected event: the Irish women’s hockey international against Australia - spoiler 0:1 to Australia. We had only discovered the match that morning after noticing the Irish team staying at our hotel.
We paid £12.50 each for the hospitality upgrade, it did not quite deliver full value! There was no beer available and the burgers were meatless, and on brioche rolls that Jane doesn’t subscribe to, disappointing at a sporting event. Still, the seats were excellent and it was fun to watch the match.
Day 3
Another long walk around the city - it seems to be our thing to burn off the calories from the night before. As it happened, it was International Women’s Day, and we ended up caught up in the march through the streets. It was actually great to witness — thousands and thousands of energetic and good-natured women — though as a man it felt slightly difficult to feel fully part of it.
Lunch was Thai food - seeking spicy. The spice level was gentle and it wasn’t the best Thai we’ve ever had, but it was still good — and the portions were enormous.
Dinner was completely out of the question afterwards, so we settled for a couple of drinks before heading back to the hotel. There we watched the parents of the Irish hockey team celebrating their twenty-something daughters’ performances with a few well-earned drinks. They came 3rd in the competition - having beaten Japan on penalties.
Day 4
An early start with a quick breakfast before boarding a minibus for our trip to the coast at Valparaíso.
The tour was probably a 7/10 overall. We’d already seen plenty of the Pacific during the trip, so it may be more exciting for people who are only visiting Santiago. That said, the itinerary includes several stops that together give a good feel for the area.
Lunch was relaxed and very good value — we went for the fish of the day, which was excellent.
The vineyard stop was pleasant enough, though it was really just a simple tasting rather than a full tour.
All in all it made for a long day, but at a good price and definitely worth doing.
I took some photos, and the tour guide shared her much superior photos, that for some unknown reason don’t have the crowds of people included.
That evening we decided that the hotel — Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Providencia — is actually pretty cool, and the Providencia neighbourhood itself had grown on us now that we had settled in.
Despite all the stories about needing to be cautious in Santiago, we haven’t experienced any issues. The area feels lovely and we felt perfectly safe walking back to the hotel around 10pm.
Day 5
Another great meal, this time in the Barrio Italia area at Casa Luz. The steak was one of those steaks that tastes and feels like steak should - well cooked and presented.
Afterwards we began the long walk back to the hotel, stopping at one of the many KrossBar locations for a drink before ending up at Texas Ribs in the Providencia mall. A note on the KrossBar - for reasons only known to Chile, its license means that you can only enjoy a second drink if you are having food.
Back to the mall, on the fifth floor there’s an impressive variety of restaurants. We had beer first with our dinner and then a couple of margaritas as dessert — it was our last night after all.
On the short walk back to the hotel we decided to pop into Flannery's Irish Geo Pub, which may well be the worst Irish bar we’ve ever visited. Scrub may - it was beyond bad. They were serving green drinks - and it wasn’t St Paddy’s day, and the stout was poured with contempt.
One quick beer confirmed our suspicions and we left promptly.
The walk back to the hotel was short and pleasant — even late in the evening the air was warm and the streets felt relaxed.
For more of our South American Odyssey - https://www.retiredcormac.co.uk/blog/categories/south-american-tour
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