One of the things that
make Santiago such a great city to visit is that you can easily
leave it. Within 45 minutes you can be hiking in the Andes,
or within 1- 1/2 hours, strolling on the beach. If you don’t
already have plans to do something with your family on the
weekend, and if there aren’t any arranged activities
through the school, here are some ideas of fun things to do.
Please
note that additional info (prices, activities, etc) are found
to the right of this pages. 
Santuario
de la Naturaleza
This is a nature reserve
located just 30 minutes from the school by public transportation.
It is your gateway to the Andes. This is a great spot for
a picnic or a day hike that can be long or short. Actually,
there are trails that will take you all the way to Argentina,
if you’re a really fast hiker (40 kms.) This is also
a working ranch so if you hike up the canyon a ways you’re
bound to see huasos (Chilean cowboys) rounding up stray cattle
and horses.
Cerro el Pintor
This is probably the most
spectacular day hike that you will ever do. There is no public
transportation to this area so the best means of arriving
at the start of the hike is to rent a car with some of your
fellow students, or hire a minivan. The hike actually begins
at the top of the La Parva ski area and then climbs higher
following broad ridges to the 14,000-foot Cerro El Pintor.
The views during every step of this 4-6 hour hike are incredible!
El Cajon de Maipo
This
is a canyon south of Santiago that climbs into the Andes almost
to the Argentinean border. There is public transportation
that will take you far up the canyon but a rental car will
give you more freedom to explore. There is a wonderfully rustic
refuge called Refugio Alemana located in the small town of
Banos Morales that is excellent for an overnight. The refuge
sits across the valley from Parque El Morado. A few kilometers
further up the road are the natural hot springs Termas Colinas,
great for soaking tired muscles after a day’s hike.
Parque el Morado
This is beautiful park
for taking a non-strenuous day hike. In two-and-half to four
hours you can hike up to the glacier at the base of El Morado
(5,300 meters), the towering peak that the park gets its name
from. You can also camp at the small laguna if you would prefer
to spend the night under a spectacular star filled sky.
Skiing
There are three excellent
ski areas just one to 1.5 hours from Santiago. You can rent
equipment, as well as clothing (ski suit, gloves, goggles,
etc.), in Santiago, and take a minivan to the area of your
choice..
The
Coast
Chile has a wonderfully
varied coast with many delightful beaches as close as 1.5
hours from Santiago. Vina del Mar and Valparaiso are the nearest
coastal cities and make for excellent weekend trips, or as
centers to explore the coast from.
Parque Nacional Palmas de Ocoa
This is a national park
located just 1.5 hours north of Santiago. The greatest concentration
of indigenous palms (60,000) are located here. Outside of
this area there are few of the national palms left in the
country. This is a wonderful area for day hikes and there
are other activities available also such as mountain biking,
horseback riding, asados (BBQs), etc.
Parque Nacional la Campana
This is a national park
located in the coastal range. It is a great area for easy
day hikes or a climb to the summit of La Campana, the second
highest point in the coastal range. This is a full day’s
hike, but the views from the summit are well worth it. You
have unobstructed vistas of the Andes and the coast.
The Nights
For those of you who prefer
to stay in town, or want to socialize a bit after an invigorating
day in the Andes, there is always the Santiago nightlife.
The school is located just a few minutes walk from one of
the most popular evening spots in the city, Suecia. Bellavista
is another barrio chalked full of restaurants and clubs. If
dancing is what you are after you can find dance clubs that
range from salsa to techno, and from pop to folk.
You will also fine plenty
of opportunity to enjoy the city’s culture, ranging
from the ballet, opera and the symphony, to traditional folk
events. Whatever your fancy, you are guaranteed to enjoy the
Santiago nights.
