48 hours in Santiago, Chile

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Fifteen years ago, while I was studying abroad in Spain, I took my first solo weekend trip. By itself, simply because I could not find a friend at the last minute, this was the beginning of love for solo travel.

Later, when I started sharing solo female travel stories on my blog, it was unusual. I was told over and over again that the world was a dangerous place for a single girl; I’ve been called crazy for doing independent research – often, ironically, by people who haven’t traveled much at all.

In the end, I discovered the opposite. I’ve had the best experiences, accidents and friendships – all by myself – an education you can’t buy.

For the past few years, I’ve longed to get back to that discovery feeling of landing in a completely new place. There’s something so exciting about stepping off a plane in an unfamiliar country when you don’t know what’s going on around you. In this chaos and uncertainty is where the real fun begins.

I recently found myself in Santiago, Chile, alone, knowing no one, and had a few days to explore. I was on my way from New Zealand to Ushuaia in the bottom of Argentina, where I took my first trip to Antarctica. Air New Zealand no longer has its Auckland – Buenos Aires Route (wah!!) so I got to fly LATAM for the first time. No verdict has yet been reached on this.

It felt so good to get back to my roots of travel, to just wander and see where I end up. I spent hours getting lost in the colorful alleyways, checking out places I really wanted to visit like Pablo Neruda’s house, and munching on as many empanadas and pastries as I could.

Here are some snippets of 48 hours in Santiago, Chile. Enjoy!

1. Wander and get lost

It’s been a long time since I set foot in a new city, exploring it on my own. It’s kind of crazy to think about it. Before New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown, I created familiar routes, often returning to the same places on my way to another location. Dubai. Sydney Hong Kong. I know them well.

After a good night’s sleep at the hotel in Santiago, I hit the streets around Bellavista, where I was based. In fact, I literally went outside. While looking at maps on my phone while walking, I stepped into a huge hole in the middle of the sidewalk. It wasn’t a great start to the trip, but it woke me up from my jet lag. Fortunately, nothing was broken except my ego.

An accident magnet, I’ll never leave New Zealand again without travel insurance – comprehensive policies for peace of mind from Southern Cross Travel Insurance keep me company and let me completely relax and enjoy my travels while I’m abroad. Luckily I didn’t need to because that would have been a huge bummer.

Realizing my folly, I threw my phone away and started wandering like I used to travel. I would just walk down streets that looked interesting and see where I would end up. I love all the incredible street art and colorful buildings around Santiago. It was the perfect start to the trip. Just don’t walk and look at your phone at the same time in cities where the sidewalks are anything but monotonous.

2. Eat everything

I’ve long advocated getting to know a place through its food. I was extremely happy to try all the items right away. With only 48 hours in Santiago, Chile, I knew I had to carefully plan my meals to get the most out of them. Does anyone else do this?

In this part of South America, I knew my first meal would be empanadas. In Chile they are called empanadas pine pies, and they’re big, fat, and generously stuffed with beef, raisins, onions, olives, and hard-boiled eggs. Wait until you click; it’s really delicious. Perfect comfort food. Another dish I’ve seen everywhere corn cake, which resembles a corn cake with the same ingredients as empanadas. But I was dying to try again humitas, which look like freshly stuffed corn tortillas wrapped in husks. So delicious!

I love learning new Spanish food words when I travel. I learned so much in Spain, but it’s so different. I had never heard of “pino” or “choclo” before this trip.

3. Visit Pablo Neruda’s house

I have long loved the poetry of Pablo Neruda. Perhaps one of the greatest poets to write in the Spanish language, his work transcends language and is universally popular. In fact, he is probably Chile’s most famous son.

When I was studying at the University of Salamanca in Spain, when I was 19 years old, there was a wall near one of my school buildings that had Neruda’s famous quote graffitied on it: “I want to do to you what spring does to cherry trees.” In English it roughly means “I want to do to you what spring does to cherry trees.” It sounds better in Spanish. But since then I have been a fan of Neruda.

One of the three houses that Neruda owned in Chile is in Santiago, Chaskona. They are all museums and worth a visit. It is absolutely amazing and filled with the most amazing art spread over many levels where inside and outside merge into one. Another Chilean word, Chaskonareferring to his secret lover’s big curly red hair.

4. Stay at Boutique Hotel Castillo Rojo

The travel industry is largely recovering from the pandemic years, and there’s no denying that the world has changed a lot in the fifteen years since I first moved to Spain. Instead of phone cards, we have fancy phones and we can use our credit cards instead of exchanging cash.

Not to mention I’ve changed too – no more hostels or big backpacks or sleeping on the airport floor for this girl.

I spent years looking for the best place to stay during my 48 hours in Santiago, Chile. Finally I settled on Red Castle Boutique Hotel because it’s incredibly adorable. And it was amazing. Close to everything I wanted to see. It also has beautiful outdoor gardens and a great little bar and restaurant. Money well spent.

5. Soak up the sunset on San Cristobal Hill

Without even planning it, my legs somehow led me to a beautiful hill in the city as the day ended. Without thinking, I knew it would be a great place to watch the sunset.

San Cristobal Hill is the city’s largest green space and public park with incredible views. You can take the cable car to the top, where there are many paths and places to walk. Of course there is a large statue Theotokos of the Immaculate Conception because we are in a catholic country.

While it’s definitely not a secret spot and it will be packed with people, it’s still worth the trip to see the views.

Any tips on how to add to the 48 hours in Santiago, Chile? Share it!