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SANTIAGO
DE CHILE AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY
THE CENTRAL REGION AND THE WINERIES ROUTE
THE
CENTRAL VALLEY
From the central valley
come many of the things that for visitors most typify Chile, the folklore,
the gastronomy and the countryside shaded by the fig trees, willows and
huisaches which line its roads. From this area come grapevines and rows
of poplars separating colt pastures, as well as "huasos" (cowboys)
and rodeos. Chile's traditional country music the "cueca" and
the "tonada" are played here in houses with tiled roofs and
open corridors adorned with jasmines, camelias and "flor de la pluma".
This land gives up wines and fruits, the fragrance of basil and coriander,
kneaded bread, "empanadas" in mud ovens, corn cake and "humitas".
In contrast to this quiet landscape is Santiago, the capital, with the
rumble of its 5 million people and the bustle of a dynamic and modern
city that nevertheless retains its Latin American identity. Located at
the foot of the Andes and at the center of the country, Santiago is the
entry gate for most international flights and the starting point of many
adventures that lay "just around the corner." In winter the
snowy peaks of the Andes, which can be seen from Santiago, can be reached
in less than an hour and you can enjoy the slopes of one of South America's
main ski centers. In contrast only a little more than 100 kilometers separate
Santiago from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean. Numerous vineyards border
the city and colonial style haciendas, picturesque rural towns, hot baths
and National Park all within striking distance. For those looking for
adventure there are horse rides in the mountains, picnics at the Santuario
de la Naturaleza (Nature's Sanctuary), trekking, rafting on the River
Maipo, bunjee jumping and panoramic flights in gliders all to be had within
easy reach of the city.
With its the trappings
of the 21st century, there's little left of Santiago del Nuevo Extremo,
the city founded by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541 at the foot of Cerro Huelén
(nowadays Santa Lucía) and on the banks of the Mapocho river. Cleaner
and safer than other Latin American cities, Santiago has top-level hotels,
shopping malls and huge supermarkets; restaurants specialised in all kinds
of cuisine and the attractions you would expect to find in a metropolis.
Santiago is also a city of contrasts, for in spite of progress it refuses
to let go of its traditions. So next to metal and glass buildings, laptop
carrying executives and a modern underground subway, continue the urban
folklore of street musicians and vendors, bus singers, hand organ players
and the street photographers with their classic wooden horses.
To get to know Santiago,
nothing beats strolling around its neighborhoods. Downtown are the oldest
and most solemn buildings, the seats of the main institutions, the museums
and outstanding monuments. It is worthwhile to take a walk around the
Plaza de Armas, surrounded by the 18th century cathedral and colonial
buildings,
to walk by La Moneda
(the seat of government), to visit the Pre-Columbian Museum, one of the
best in the Americas, and to go to the church and convent of Saint Francis
(16th century), the country's oldest architectural ensemble, whose cloister
which hosts the Museum of Colonial Art is a really peaceful haven in the
midst of the downtown rumble. The Mapocho river, with the beautiful and
romantic Forest Park on one bank, divides the city in two, leaving on
the northern bank the mount of San Cristóbal which is crowned with
the statue of the Virgin Mary looking over the city. The mount of San
Cristóbal, now the Metropolitan Park, has an old picturesque funicular
railway, a zoo, a cable car ride, public swimming pools and picnic spots.
At the foot of San Cristóbal lies the Bellavista neighbourhood,
Santiago's bohemian sector, with numerous restaurants, cafés and
artists' workshops where craftsmen work and sell lapislazuli, Chile's
famous blue stone. Closer to the foot of the Andes are the modern neighbourhoods
of Providencia and Las Condes where you can find the artisans' village
of "Los Graneros del Alba" (literally the Granaries of Dawn).
The village stands next to the colonial church of Los Domínicos
and its layout mimics a rural village with unpaved streets, mud ovens
and dozens of workshops and shops that sell crafted goods from all over
Chile.
Travelling with the
Andes behind you and heading south, the countryside gradually becomes
greener and these fertile lands -the first to be claimed by the Spanish
conquerors- begin to display their abundance. That fruit is one of the
country's main exports is shown in the number of modern cold-storage warehouses
and the passing trucks loaded with boxes of apples and grapes. Chile's
other great export wine is produced on the plains of the River Maipo,
in the Colchagua valley and on the outskirts of cities like San Fernando,
Talca and Chillán. This is also the land of the old "haciendas"
with their beautiful houses (displaying the typical outside corridors
and tiles) and their great parks designed by European landscape artists.
Some of these haciendas are still owned by the original families, whereas
others have been turned into museums, important vineyard offices or exclusive
hotels that still preserve the charm and atmosphere of yesterday.
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