Discover Santiago: Top 7 Fascinating and Unique Facts About Chile's Captivating Capital

1. La Moneda: Presidential Palace & Hollywood Star

Starring in its very own blockbuster, La Moneda has been the presidential crib with a side gig in Hollywood: Santiago's iconic government palace houses Chile's head honchos since independence and has also played a supporting role in various films, including the Oscar-winning "No".
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Cerro San Cristobal: Funicular Ride with a View

Ever wanted to spy on Santiago from above without breaking any stalker laws? Look no further: Cerro San Cristobal offers a funicular ride up the hill, providing breathtaking views of the city and Andes mountains, all within a 5-minute ascent. At the summit, you can find a wooden Nativity scene, chapel, and the Virgin Mary statue standing tall, while a cable car ride gives you that extra altitude in admiring the cityscape.
Source => tripadvisor.com

Did you know that Madrid is home to the world's oldest restaurant, where even Ernest Hemingway dined? Discover the timeless culinary charm of Casa Botín, established in 1725, and its mouth-watering dishes! 🍴🇪🇸

=> Fun Facts about Madrid

3. Stray Dogs: Santiago's Furry Friends

Who let the dogs out? Santiago did: With an estimated 2.5 million well-mannered, friendly, and often domesticated stray dogs, the inhabitants of Santiago, Chile have embraced these canine companions as part of their community, providing food and shelter during cold winter nights, even as they battle the challenges of limited medical care and terminal diseases.
Source => chileofftrack.com

4. Santiago Metro: South America's Longest Line

When Santiago's locals need to catch the next train to awesome-town, they're in for quite a ride: The Santiago Metro boasts the longest metro line in South America with Line 5 stretching over 29 kilometers, featuring 30 stops from Vicente Valdés in La Florida to Plaza de Maipú in Maipú, and a total of 119 stations across its extensive network.
Source => moovitapp.com

5. ALMA: The Giant Telescope in the Andes

If you thought your neighbor's rooftop antenna was gigantic, Santiago, Chile, will make you reconsider size judgments: Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the largest ground-based astronomical project on the planet, boasts 66 behemoth antennas spread over 16 kilometers, located atop the soaring 5,000-meter high Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes—perfectly positioned for peeking into the cool Universe.
Source => eso.org

6. Santiago: Trendsetting City of Latin America

Much like a fine Chilean wine, Santiago only gets better with age - fermenting secrets and achievements underground: As the first city in Latin America to undergroundly zip its people with an electrifying metro system in 1975, Santiago had already sprinted past the finish line, making history by hosting the Summer Olympics back in 1960 - another first for the Southern Hemisphere.
Source => worldpopulationreview.com

7. Chile Open: Santiago's Tennis Extravaganza

In Santiago, Chile, it's game, set, and "match-a-roo" for tennis enthusiasts looking to watch backhands, forehands, and just the right amount of grunting: This capital city proudly hosts popular tennis tournaments, such as the annual Chile Open since 2001, where local heroes like Marcelo Rios and Fernando González have swung their rackets and made a racket on the world stage.
Source => atptour.com