Chile Guide
Santiago
Cerro Santa Lucía
The lushly forested Cerro SantaLucía is the most imaginative and exuberant piece of landscaping in Santiago. Looking at it now, it's hard to believe that for the first three centuries of the city's development this was nothing more than a barren, rocky outcrop, completely ignored despite its historical importance – it was at the foot of this hill that Santiago was officially founded by Valdivia, on February 12, 1541. It wasn't until 1872 that the city turned its attention to Santa Lucía once more, when the mayor of Santiago, Vicuña Mackenna, enlisted the labour of 150 prisoners to transform it into a grand public park.
Quasi-Gaudíesque in appearance, with its swirling pathways and Baroque terraces and turrets, this is a great place to come for panoramic views across the city, even when they're veiled behind a layer of smog. If slogging up the steps doesn't appeal, there's a free lift on the western side of the park, by the junction with Huérfanos. Up on the terrace is another branch of the Municipalidad de Santiago's Oficina de Turismo, which offers free maps and free walking tours every Thursday at 11am as well as friendly, competent staff. While it's always busy and safe by day, several muggings have been reported in the Cerro Santa Lucía after dark, so hanging around to watch the sun go down, though tempting, isn't advisable.