Santiago, Chile

Santiago, Chile's capital and by far its largest city, sits in a broad valley hemmed by the Andes, whose snow-capped peaks form a spectacular backdrop on clear days — a sophisticated, safe-feeling and increasingly cosmopolitan metropolis that most travellers pass through on the way to Patagonia or the Atacama, but which rewards a couple of days of its own. The city is best grasped from its hills: Cerro San Cristóbal, the large park-topped peak rising from the Bellavista district, reached by a historic funicular or cable car, is crowned by a white statue of the Virgin and gives a sweeping panorama over the city to the mountains; the smaller, landscaped Cerro Santa Lucía, in the centre, is a romantic warren of terraces and fountains on the spot where the city was founded in 1541. Below lies the historic core around the Plaza de Armas, with the cathedral, the central market and the colonnaded squares, and the presidential palace of La Moneda. Santiago's character lives in its barrios: bohemian Bellavista, with its colourful houses, street art, nightlife and the hillside home of the poet Pablo Neruda (La Chascona); cultured Lastarria and Bellas Artes, with their belle-époque streets, museums, cafés and the fine-arts gallery; and the modern, high-rise Providencia and Las Condes, where the gleaming Costanera Center — South America's tallest tower, with the Sky Costanera observation deck — anchors the financial district. The food and wine are a highlight: fresh seafood at the Mercado Central, the produce of La Vega market, a confident modern-Chilean restaurant scene, and easy access to the country's celebrated wine valleys. And Santiago's greatest asset is its location — within easy reach are the colourful port city of Valparaíso and the beaches of the central coast, the Maipo and Casablanca wine valleys, and the Andes themselves, with world-class ski resorts and the dramatic Cajón del Maipo canyon less than two hours away. The Mediterranean-like climate brings warm, dry summers (December to February) and mild, sometimes smoggy winters; spring and autumn are pleasant, and the snow season (June to September) draws skiers.