Travelogue 5: Santiago, 2026

Spending two months in Santiago was a somewhat strange experience because the similarities with Mexico are so numerous. Since beginning the New Era, I have always felt a clear cultural difference between every city I have visited and life in Mexico. But in Santiago, I felt as though I were in Mexico.

In certain respects, Santiago resembles Monterrey, Mexico’s third-largest city. Even the Chilean character seems very similar to the Mexican one, which is surprising given the great distance between the two countries and all the countries between them with very different cultures, customs and temperaments. Curiously, Santiago also has many Mexican products and restaurants.

Comparisons aside, Santiago is a city where one can live well. It strikes a good balance between the tranquility of a place that does not feel very large and a high level of development. The city is divided into districts known as comunas, each with its own government, much like the boroughs of Mexico City or the municipalities in other Mexican cities. The comunas I came to know were Santiago, which contains the center and Lastarria; Providencia, where I lived; Las Condes; Vitacura; and Ñuñoa. Providencia and Las Condes were my favorites. I spent practically my entire life in those two districts: running, shopping, walking around and eating out. My nightlife was quite limited because, sadly, Santiago is thoroughly infected with that disease of the intellect called reggaeton, so finding bars in which to spend a pleasant evening was rather difficult.

I loved living in Providencia, especially the area where I stayed, at the corner of Ricardo Lyon and Traiguén—roughly the zone between Nueva Providencia and Pocuro, and between Los Leones and Pedro de Valdivia. It is a heavily wooded area with attractive, clean and well-maintained streets, apartment buildings surrounded by broad, beautiful gardens, numerous parks and bicycle paths.

Curiously, I did not use the metro in this city. I love riding the metro everywhere I visit, but in Santiago I had little reason to because I joined the public bicycle system and, in most situations, cycling or taking an Uber worked better than public transportation. I also wanted to make the most of the bicycle because I had been unable to use one in other cities due to restrictions in the local system (Buenos Aires), a lack of adequate infrastructure and conditions (São Paulo), little need for one (Rio), or the complete absence of a system (Asunción). Another reason I did not use the metro was that, unlike in other cities, one cannot pay with a credit or debit card. You have to buy a metro card, and that card can be purchased only with cash. I would therefore have needed to withdraw cash solely for that purpose, and I do not use cash—only cards.

I have one criticism of the city, and the people of Santiago will have to forgive me: what terrible road culture you have. I am sorry, but it has to be said. For a city without the sheer scale and density of megacities such as Mexico City or São Paulo, people drive in a state of constant hysteria, at top speed even on the smallest streets and without any courtesy—what am I saying, any basic decency—toward pedestrians. Even public roads are designed exclusively for cars: there are no pedestrian crossings at every corner, forcing people on foot to take detours in order to cross; crossings are inadequately marked; and traffic priority is designed around cars. Pedestrian signals exist, but they seem intended more to restrict pedestrians than to protect them. This was my experience as someone who walks a great deal, every day, and who arrived without any prejudice on the subject. Buenos Aires has twice the population, yet its roads clearly prioritize pedestrians and it is unusual for a car not to yield to somebody on foot. Santiago seems like a growing city that still believes development means using cars and has yet to discover that a city’s true development is measured by the quality of its non-motorized mobility.

It must also be said that the city is making a clear effort to promote non-motorized transport, particularly cycling, with numerous bicycle paths in some areas. Some are excellent, such as those on Andrés Bello and Pocuro; others are mediocre, such as those around Barrio Italia that run along the sidewalk and can therefore be confusing and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists alike. The traffic code even contains clear rules governing bicycles. But despite having some infrastructure and regulation, the city has, I must say, an appalling cycling culture. In most cases cyclists ride on the sidewalks, nearly running over pedestrians or pressuring them to get out of the way. Drivers do not respect cyclists using the road; they act as though they have never seen a bicycle, crowding us with their cars, rushing us, and overtaking far too closely at high speed. Whenever there was no bicycle path, Nydia and I rode in the road as required by the city’s traffic regulations, and drivers were extremely aggressive. I had never felt as unsafe even cycling on Mexico City’s great avenues as I did on Santiago’s small streets and avenues. Meanwhile, cyclists on the bicycle paths behave as though they were competing in the Tour de France, speeding and overtaking while constantly endangering themselves and others. The city still has a long way to go in this regard.

I must record a few more criticisms. The city is excessively polluted; on some days, though not all, a distinct brown layer can be seen in the sky. Service is generally poor, and employees seem annoyed by having to attend to customers. Medicines are also overregulated: even something as simple as ibuprofen or omeprazole requires a prescription. I cannot understand how anyone can be forced to visit a doctor to treat a headache, muscle pain or gastritis. Forgive me once again, but it strikes me as a genuine racket.

Returning to more pleasant subjects, Santiago has good shopping centers. There is not a great deal to do in the city on weekends, so visiting them to eat, see a film or shop became one of our forms of entertainment. The three I visited frequently were Costanera Center, the closest and therefore the one I visited most; MUT (Mercado Urbano Tobalaba), which I also visited often and which was my favorite; and Parque Arauco, which I visited less frequently but still had several opportunities to explore. As for brands and products, one finds practically the same things as in Mexico—perhaps a few fewer stores, but generally the same selection.

I think my greatest delight in the city was the view of the Andes from my balcony, especially in the afternoons when the sunlight strikes them directly and, toward sunset, they turn orange and pink. There is something inspiring about mountains so immense looming over a city.

I also greatly enjoyed my running routes. They usually took me along Ricardo Lyon to Pocuro, then to Tobalaba; through a few streets toward El Golf; along Presidente Riesco and around Parque Araucano; then back via Isidora Goyenechea toward Torre Costanera, along Andrés Bello to Parque Metropolitano, and finally home to my apartment.

Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

These two cities are easy to reach by coach from Santiago. They are technically separate, though they could almost count as one because they adjoin each other. It was a whirlwind visit that passed without distinction; I found both cities rather disappointing, with little to see or do. Valparaíso is perhaps the more entertaining of the two, with a few hills full of cafés, restaurants and shops. Its main tourist attraction is walking those hills through narrow lanes with a bohemian atmosphere. That area is lovely to visit, but after three or four hours there is not much left to do.

Overall, my stay in Santiago was good, my daily life was pleasant, and I almost learned to speak Chilean—which closely resembles Spanish.