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Activities in Santiago

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The city of Santiago offers many activities for those visiting its quarters. Whether visitors want to check out some of the more historical sights, or just experience the culture itself, there is plenty to do. Below is a list of activities visitors can participate in when traveling to Santiago.

• Plaza De Armas: This is the place to go if you want to experience the culture of Santiago. Here, in the center of municipal life, Santiaguinos saturate the square to meet up with friends on the benches, hang around and view street performers, and investigate the exhibits of landscape and portrait art. This is a great place to sit back and people watch as you take in the culture.
• Cathedral de Santiago: The Cathedral de Santiago is located to the west of Plaza De Armas. This striking and substantial cathedral possesses a stunning interior with an inspiring collection of ecclesiastical art.
• Parque Metropolitano De Santiago: If you want to escape Santiago’s infamous smog, the Parque Metropolitano De Santiago is a great place to run to. This park, bursting with green, provides over seven square kilometers of steep hills and picturesque views of the city of Santiago below. The best time to go to the park is after the city has experienced a heavy rain; often, you will be able to view the Andes Mountain range in the backdrop. The primary entrance to the park is found at the base of Pío Nono, and accommodates the starting point of a cable railway, which escorts people to the top of Cerro San Cristobal. From here, 250m above the neighboring urban surroundings, visitors can ride the cable car to survey botanical gardens and enormous swimming pools. At the highest point, look for an enormous statue, 35m high, of Virgin Mary and the immaculate conception. This statue was built in Paris and set up in 1908 and can be seen from practically any location in the city, particularly when it is lit up at night.
• Iglesia De San Francisco: The Iglesia De San Francisco is the oldest building in Santiago, dating back to 1628. This antique Chilean architecture is reminiscent of the days of old when rough-hewn rock could be bare on a cathedral’s inside walls.
• Museo De Bellas Artes and Museo De Arte Contemporaneo: This spectacular Neoclassical monument, constructed in 1910 to honor Chile’s first centenary, accommodates both the Museo De Bellas Artes and Museo De Arte Contemporaneo. Together they form the largest concentration of collected art in the entire country of Chile. The Museo De Bellas Artes exhibits classic and contemporary art by both Chilean and international artists. The Museo De Arte Contemporaneo stands somewhat in the shadow of its counterpart museum, but does provide striking rotating exhibits.
• Skiing and Mountain Biking: Why not take advantage of this beautiful and amazing place to ski? If visiting in the winter, there are plenty of areas to ski in. If visiting in the summer, mountain bike through the trails of the high Andes peaks.
• Rodeo: The Rodeo is the declared “national” sport of this country. If in Chile during the month of September, the rodeo is most popular during this time and you are sure to be able to experience an event. The most prestigious rodeo, however, occurs on the last weekend in March, the Campeonato Nacional de Rodeo.

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