The Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos) is arguably one of the most moving museum experiences on the planet. It commemorates the victims of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship from 1973 and 1990. Learn the struggles of ordinary Chilean citizens during the regime that saw thousands thrown in detention centres and up to 3,000 murdered. Spanning the military coup of September 11, 1973 to the ‘No’ referendum on Ocotber 5, 1988, it displays torture devices, letters from prisoners, newspaper clippings, TV and radio recordings, and stories from survivors.
Take a city tour around Santiago, where you’ll visit Plaza de Armas (the city’s heart), the Metropolitan Cathedral, Central Post Office, Santiago Museum, Mercado Central (Central Market), Palacio de la Real Audiencia, National Historic Museum and more. Viator lists operators offering journeys for a few hours or a whole day.
Go on a day trip to the seaside town of Valparaiso, a city steeped in history, colour and culture. In the 19th century, the town was a stopover for ships passing through the Straits of Magellan. Across the hills sit colourful Bohemian neighbourhoods (no two houses next to each other may be be painted in the same colour), including Bellavista, site of La Sebastiana, former home of the city's most famous resident, poet Pablo Neruda. Get there on one of the many ascensores (funicular railways), which were built in 1883 to help residents get to houses on the many steep slopes.
On the way to or from Valparaiso, stop in at the Casablanca Valley, one of Chile’s premier wine regions. A top pick is Bodegas Re, known for its unusual blends of whites and reds together.
Santiago has the Andes as a spectacular backdrop and a novel way to see the city is on horseback, where you’ll ride up high in the foothills and stop for lunch, overlooking the valley where Santiago lies. The team at Andes Riders take regular tours with local and English-speaking guides.
