The Savvy Traveler’s Corner 

Grand Views and Artisan Shopping in Santiago, Chile

Look in any direction from Santa Lucía Hill in downtown Santiago and you’ll immediately see why the Spanish built their fortress here—the views are phenomenal. Nowadays the skyline is crowded with new skyscrapers and towering church steeples, but the snow-capped Andes are where they’ve always been—reflected in the glass and metal towers that rise above the city’s 16th-century colonial buildings. The ascent begins at the junction of Santa Lucía and Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins. Depending on your route, you’ll have 180 to 200 steps to the summit. Before going up, check out the Centro de Exposición de Arte Indígena, where you’ll find miniature Rapa Nui carvings and Mapuche masks.