Cerro Santa Lucía

Cerro Santa Lucía is a rocky outcrop that rises about 69 metres above the centre of Santiago, and it is one of the most enjoyable places in the city for a short climb with a view. Pedro de Valdivia took the hill on 13 December 1540, St Lucy's day, which gave it its name, and the city was founded nearby in February 1541.

What you see today is largely the work of Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, who between 1872 and 1874 transformed a bare rock into a romantic park of some 65,000 square metres, with ponds, fountains, stairways, ornate facades, a chapel and palm trees planted in 1873. A monumental entrance on the Alameda side was added in 1903. Earlier the hill had a military role: forts were built here in 1816, and Fort Hidalgo, finished in 1820, has been restored and is now used as an events centre. In 1849 the astronomer James Melville Gilliss set up an observatory on the hill that became the nucleus of Chile's first national astronomical observatory.

The climb is short, along paths and stairways that wind up the rock. Highlights include the Terraza Caupolicán and the viewpoint built around 1940 on the highest crag, from where you look across the city towards Cerro San Cristóbal and, on clear days, the Andes. The hill is also known for its traditional noon cannon shot, so do not be surprised by a bang at midday.

Allow about an hour to wander up and down without rushing, and wear comfortable shoes for the stairways; visitors with limited mobility may find the upper levels hard going. Go in the morning or late afternoon for softer light and cooler temperatures, and keep belongings close, as you would in any city park.

The hill is bounded by the Alameda to the south, Santa Lucía street to the west, Merced to the north and Victoria Subercaseaux to the east. Santa Lucía metro station is on the Alameda side. Barrio Lastarria, with its cafés and restaurants, the National Library and the Fine Arts Museum are all a few minutes away, so it slots easily into a day in the centre.