As it follows, we shall make a tourist journey by the provinces of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago.
– Province of Chacabuco: at the surroundings of Colina there are various places of tourist interest such as the Colina springs that have complete services and various buildings declared national monuments, such as the remains of the Inmaculada Concepcion chapel, the Chacabuco farm ( with a church and employers house dating from the XVIII century) and the house of the Quilapilun Farm. In the Lampa comuna (county) stands out the Nuestra Señora del Trabajo chapel, built in the mid XX Century and declared National Monument in 1999.
In Tiltil, which is a comuna (county) known for its production of olives and prickly pears, there are other historical monuments such as the Tiltil Church and the employers house of the former Polpaico farm.
– Province of Cordillera: in this province there are various attractions related with the mountain landscape. Such is the case of the Cajon del Maipo and the surroundings of Pirque. The first is a traditional stroll that renders a full vision of the wide valley that narrows between the massif ranges as it ascends. In this trail is possible to access to picnic, camping and bathing sites.
As we ascend, we can find the ski resort Lagunillas, picturesque villages (such as Maipo, San Alfonso and San Gabriel) or enjoy strolling by the Nature Sanctuary Cascada de las Animas, or, access to the Plomo springs and to the Baños Morales.
In Pirque, is possible to tour by some vineyards such as Concha y Toro, which storages and parks were declared national monuments or, continue to the Clarillo River National Reserve.
In the comunas (counties) of San Jose de Maipo and Pirque, there are some historical monuments such as the former Sanatorio de Laennec, the church and parish house of San Jose de Maipo, the Women’s Health House Carolina Deursther and the house and park of Llano de Pirque.
– Province of Maipo: in the capital of this province, San Bernardo, there are several patrimonial sites and constructions. One of them is the Archeological Monument located on Chena hill, an Incan pucara built in the XV century. Other monuments that stand out are Casa Williamson and the Train Station.
In Buin, one of the attractions is the BuinZoo – the largest private zoo in Chile – which, over five hectares, houses animals from around the world. There are two national monuments in this comuna: the house and park of Santa Rita Vineyard and the church of Transito de la Santisima Virgen Maria.
In the area around Paine, a comuna (county) famous for its production of watermelons, is Aculeo lagoon, where water sports and fishing is practiced. Other highlights are the patrimonial constructions found at the former Fort Rangue.
A few of the attractions of the comuna (county) of Calera de Tango are its great, old mansions from the XVII and XVIII century, such as Calera de Tango hacienda, San Miguel de Tango and Santa Helena de Lonquen.
– Province of Melipilla: the capital of this province is Melipilla, a city with a rich historical, cultural and folkloric tradition. Among its attractions, one may find the famous town of Pomaire, which is renowned for its clay handicrafts and its peasant gastronomy, in addition to the Esmeralda lagoon (ideal for camping and windsurfing) and the church and cloister of San Agustin de Melipilla.
Alhue was declared a Typical Zone and has patrimonial constructions: Alhue church and the mansion of Alhue Hacienda. Curacavi is another picturesque comuna, which is known for its widespread production of vegetable gardens, flowers and fruit for export, but also for their traditional sweets and chicha.
– Province of Talagante: in the capital comuna –characterized by its pleasant rural and agricultural landscapes- there are some patrimonial monuments, such as El Monte church and the houses found at Fundo San Miguel. In addition, traditional hand painted clay handicrafts are produced here.
– Province of Santiago: the «Great City of Santiago» is found in this province, the main attraction of which is its interesting combination of diverse neighborhoods, people and houses and also of culture, history and modern life.
From a cultural point of view, this city serves up a wide variety of possibilities. A few of these are the many museums, which in most cases are housed in buildings that have been declared national monuments, such as the following: el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine arts), el Museo Historico Nacional (National history museum), el Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (contemporary art museum), el Museo de Arte Precolombino (Pre-Columbus art museum) , el Museo de Historia Natural (Natural History Museum), el Museo de Ciencia y Tecnologia (Science and technology museum), el Museo Ferroviario (Railway museum), el Museo Artequin (Artequin Museum), el Museo de La Merced (Merced Museum), el Museo Interactivo Mirador (Mirador interactive museum) and the Museo Nacional de Aeronautica y del Espacio (National Air/Space Museum).
Another distinctive trait of Santiago is the fact that it is a true open air museum, for many of its buildings (public, private, churches, military establishments, etc.) have been declared national monuments; such as: Palacio de La Moneda (La Moneda Palace), Catedral de Santiago (Santiago Cathedral), iglesia San Francisco (San Francisco church), el Palacio de la Real Audiencia y Cajas Reales (current Museo Historico Nacional), the Congreso Nacional building (where part of the lower house has worked again), Casa Colorada, Palacio Cousiño, Palacio Errazuriz, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Teatro Municipal de Santiago (Santiago Municipal theater), Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia (Courthouse), la Bolsa de Comercio (Stock exchange), el Club de la Unión, iglesia de Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo church), la Biblioteca Nacional (national library), Mercado Central, Estacion Central, el Templo Votivo de Maipu (Maipu temple of worship), among others.
In Santiago, there are also numerous parks, plazas and walkways that enable full enjoyment of beautiful surroundings. Among the most well-known are the Parque Metropolitano (Virgin, Zoo, cablecars), Parque O’Higgins, Parque de los Reyes, Santa Lucia hill, Quinta Normal, Parque Bustamanate, Forestal, Padre Hurtado, among others.
Other alternatives for recreation are the numerous and modern movie theaters. There are also theaters for plays and shows, like the old and traditional Santiago Municipal Theater.
On the other hand, for those who want to go shopping, Santiago and several of its comunas (counties) offer a wide variety of neighborhoods and commercial centers and malls for all kinds of tasted and budgets. There is also a wide variety of hotel services, many of which operate under international standards, as well as restaurants with an assorted gastronomy and a lively night life.
For those that wish to take advantage of the Range and the snow, Santiago has three winter resorts, that for their excellent slopes and equipment, they are very attractive, These centers are Valle nevado, El Colorado-Farellones and La Parva.
