Ignored for years, Chile’s capital is finally starting to open up to the world and offer something to curious visitors, as Alexandra Ulmer discovers.

The city of Santiago, tucked under the towering Andes, cut off in the north by the world’s driest desert and in the south by frigid Patagonia, has long languished at the end of Latin America, as if forgotten.

A brutal 17-year dictatorship that ended in 1990 only compounded the Chilean capital’s isolation.

But the city of about seven million is finally letting loose and exploring its funkier side, bolstered by a flourishing democracy, increased prosperity and stronger ties with the world beyond its borders.

Bohemian neighbourhoods, museums, leafy parks and a thriving nightlife are transforming Santiago, which residents had nicknamed Santiasco, a pun on the Spanish word asco, or disgust, due to its pollution.

Still, Santiago is not yet Buenos Aires – and don’t you dare compare the two in front of a Chilean – but it is putting itself on the map like never before.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of a trip there.

Head up the hills

Put on your walking shoes and head to the commanding San Cristóbal Hill (parquemet.cl) that overlooks metropolitan Santiago. Hike up, bike up or opt for the efficient cable car.

Nestled at the foot of San Cristóbal is the Santiago home of Pablo Neruda, one of the Nobel Laureate and poet’s three delightfully eccentric houses.

A guided tour of La Chascona (www.fundacionneruda.org), named in honour of his mistress-turned-wife’s dishevelled red hair, is a must.

 

Roam the Bellavista neighbourhood, celebrated for its colourful street art and rowdy nightlife.

Cross the Mapocho River and pop into the National Fine Arts Museum (www.mnba.cl), which features paintings by Chilean and European artists alike.

Soak in the rapidly gentrifying Lastarria area, where wine bars and independent designer shops are flourishing.

Chilean cuisine may not be as sophisticated as others in the region, but the country does boast fine wines and a fantastic array of seafood

Sip a cafe con leche at Wonderful (90, José Victorino, Lastarria) as you people-watch.

Wander through the small castles and landscaped gardens with elaborate fountains clinging to the perky Santa Lucía Hill, once a sacred place for the Mapuche indigenous tribe who used it as a lookout spot during the Spanish conquest.

Take a history lesson

Join the crowds gawking at mimes and chuckling with comedians at the Plaza de Armas central square.

Get a glimpse of the imposing La Moneda presidential palace a few blocks over.

When Neruda moved from the countryside to Santiago in 1921, he reportedly moaned it reeked of “gas, coffee and bricks”.

While espressos are still in vogue, the bricks have all but disappeared.

See for yourself by exploring the wealthy eastern area, nicknamed Sanhattan, due to its glittering highrises and parks, namely the polished Parque Bicentenario.

But despite the recent economic boom and increasingly liberal social values, Chile’s tormented past lingers the subtext to most political discussions.

To clue yourself in, drop by the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (www.museodelamemoria.cl), which documents the 1973 coup that toppled president Salvador Allende and ushered in the bloody dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

Decompress with a stroll around the charmingly rundown houses of the Brasil neighbourhood, once Santiago’s chic area.

Sample a pisco sour at The Clinic, a bar brimming with tongue-in-cheek, left-leaning political posters, to get a current view of Chilean society.

Eat like a local

While Chilean cuisine may not be as sophisticated as some others in the region, the country does boast fine wines and a fantastic array of seafood and fresh local produce.

Tuck into high-end local fare at Liguria or at one of the numerous restaurants sheltered under the iron-roofed Mercado Central.

But the sprawling, cheap and bustling Vega Market across the river from the Mercado Central has a more local and authentic feel to it.

Get an action-packed look at Santiaguinos, stocking up on juicy papayas, traditional Andean corn and just about everything else.

Consider visiting a vineyard to sample Chile’s famed Carmenere.

The well-known Concha y Toro (conchaytoro.com) makes for the easiest trip, though smaller producers on the road to the coast, such as the upscale Matetic Vineyards (matetic.com/en), are more charming.

Take advantage of Santiago’s proximity to both the beach and the mountains – both under two hours – to escape the urban jungle.

Fit in a trip to the funky port town of Valparaíso and dip into the Pacific Ocean at the nearby Viña del Mar beach resort or the prettier, but pricier Zapallar. Also consider skiing the Andean peaks that surround Santiago.