Enrique's Experience in Santiago, Chile

What attracts you to living in Santiago? Do you recommend it? What is it like?

As the capital of Chile, Santiago is quite congested; increasingly more so as the city becomes more populated, which makes living here difficult in some aspects. But, this should not just be seen as something negative, it also has a positive side to it - the differentiation of areas within Santiago is changing a lot, both due to its geography, as well as its climate.

Without a doubt, as a capital city and as Chile's capital, Santiago is a recommended destination because the tourist experience is enviable. Spend a decent amount of time here to get to know the places of interest for tourists, which will help to develop your wider knowledge of the city.

What is student life like in Santiago?

In Santiago, there are a large number of universities, which gives a variety of different people the opportunity to live the university experience in Chile. I know from experience, as a Santiago citizen, that the large number of exchange students that arrive in the capital are always impressed by something; sometimes, it's not just the landscape or an activity they've done, but the native people themselves. Like in every city, there are both good and bad things, but if I must say, for the Chilean people, it's always a pleasure to have tourists in our country. You will always have a helping hand or a warm welcome in any part of Santiago or, equally, in Chile as a whole.

How much does it cost to live in Santiago?

Life in Santiago is not cheap - people in our country usually work a lot to afford it. Because the capital is overpopulated, it makes many things difficult, but, in spite of this, you can work here in Santiago without difficulty, irrespective of whether you are a foreigner or a Santiago native.

The reason why the cost of living is higher is due to the country, as a whole, as well as the capital, being in a constant state of change, or evolution, to strive for a better economy. Evidence of this can be seen in the skyscapers and glass buildings that have been built in the capital.

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Gran Torre Santiago sits 300m above ground level (located in Providencia)

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View of the build-up of skyscapers in Santiago

Which places do you recommend visiting in Santiago?

I could spend loads of time writing about places to visit in Santiago and even those outside of Santiago. It has a lot of charming spots, like the southern Andes mountain range, where we are fortunate enough to have snow one season a year. Within its physical geography, Santiago also has some hills that are symbolic of the capital, for example: Cerro Santa Lucía, Cerro San Cristóbal and Cerro Manquehue, amongst others. At the same time, Santiago also has a wide variety of parks, which provides the city with great landscapes, and are always accompanied by locals doing sport; something that is a big part of daily life for the so-called 'Santiaguinos'.

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South-easterly view of Santiago, southern Andes mountain range

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Templo Bahá'í de Sudamérica (Peñalolen)

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It's both a lookout point over the city and a place of thought and contemplation (good for meditation)

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Access point to Cerro Santa Lucía

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View of southern Santiago from Cerro San Cristóbal

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Parque Bicentenario (Vitacura)

Which places do you recommend for nightlife in Santiago?

In Santiago, there are lots of good places to go to (generally during weekends). There is a wide variety of bars, restaurants and nightclubs dotted all over the city. My recommendation is to always go out with other people, never alone. There are usually lots of foreigners who frequent Patio Bellavista because it is home to many restaurants and is also close to other bars and nightclubs, making it very convenient for a night out. In my personal opinion, the best nightclubs are found in north-east Santiago (Sala Gente in Las Condes, for example).

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Patio Bellavista (interior)

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Club EVE (Vitacura, north-east Santiago)

Any advice you want to give to future students in Santiago?

The city is very pleasant, but like all capital cities, it has both its good and bad sides. As a local Santiaguino, my recommendation would to always be friendly towards the Chileans, and you will realise that they are being friendly with you because you are a foreigner and are not familiar with the city. You can get to know a lot about Santiago, considering its geography being situated right by the Andes mountain range. It's also important to note that you won't just find that special charm in Santiago, but you will also come across it throughout the country. Due to its geography, Chile is full of amazing places from North to South, where you can visit places you would never have imagined existing, which are very much appreciated by Chileans and foreigners alike.

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Atacama Desert (Northern Chile, III Region)

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Isla de Chiloé, Palafitos (Southern Chile, X Region - also known as Chile's Lake District)

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Isla de Pascua (located in Polynesia)

What is food like in Chile? What are your favourite dishes?

Both here in Santiago, in addition to Chile as a whole, people really like food. As well as our extensive geography, several varieties of local specialities exist in each region of the country. As I have said, there is such a variety, but the images below will speak for themselves:

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Pastel de choclo

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Empanada chilena

And eating out in Santiago? Can you name your favourite places?

There are many places to eat out at in Santiago. On every block in the city centre, there are many food outlets serving a variety of dishes, not only those typical of Chile, but of all foreign cuisines. There are even many other South American dishes available thanks to the large number of migrants that come to Chile bringing their local foods with them.

A typical place to eat, always packed with tourists, is Mercado Central, known for its excellent food.

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Mercado Central, situated in the Santiago Centro neighbourhood

Was it difficult finding accommodation in Santiago? Can you give any advice?

Generally, from the opinions of my foreign friends, it's not so difficult to find a place to stay. They have told me that several websites exist that offer accommodation services. What they recommended to me was, when you want to choose an apartment, always look for one with the most specific information about it.

And, my personal recommendation is to never 100% trust an accommodation agreement without meeting the relevant person beforehand and seeing that it's the best place for you to live. Another recommendation would be to stay somewhere close to your university because Santiago is a large city and public transport is one of the worst services that we have, to which a solution has yet to be found.