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Best Things to do in Santiago (2026)

Many of the most rewarding things to do in Santiago are about everyday life rather than monuments. Start with the markets: the Mercado Central, an 1872 iron hall made in Glasgow, is the place for seafood lunches, and La Vega Central on the north bank of the Mapocho is the city's working fruit and vegetable market. Visit them together on a morning walk, going early to see the stalls before the lunchtime crowds.

Barrio Lastarria, a protected heritage quarter of winding streets between Cerro Santa Lucía and Parque Forestal, is a pleasant neighbourhood to wander, with cafés, restaurants, boutiques and street performers. In the evening, the Teatro Municipal, the city's opera house since 1857, stages opera, ballet and concerts, and the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral on the Alameda programmes contemporary theatre, dance and music in a building with a remarkable history. Check both programmes before your trip and book ahead for popular performances. Combining a Lastarria stroll with a show at GAM or the Municipal makes an easy and rewarding evening in the centre.

5 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Santiago

  1. Mercado Central de Santiago Historic seafood market, Santiago CentroSantiago's 1872 iron-roofed market hall, made in Glasgow, where fishmongers and seafood restaurants serve paila marina, mariscal and fried fish.
  2. La Vega Central Fruit and vegetable market, RecoletaSantiago's working fruit and vegetable market on the north bank of the Mapocho, trading produce from central Chile since its warehouses opened in 1916.
  3. Barrio Lastarria Historic neighbourhood, LastarriaA protected heritage quarter between Cerro Santa Lucía and Parque Forestal, with winding streets, cafés, restaurants, boutiques and street performers.

Thing to do

2. La Vega Central

Fruit and vegetable marketRecoleta

Santiago's working fruit and vegetable market on the north bank of the Mapocho, trading produce from central Chile since its warehouses opened in 1916.

View details — La Vega Central

Thing to do

3. Barrio Lastarria

Historic neighbourhoodLastarria

A protected heritage quarter between Cerro Santa Lucía and Parque Forestal, with winding streets, cafés, restaurants, boutiques and street performers.

View details — Barrio Lastarria