Barrio Lastarria
Santiago's most stylish little arts neighbourhood, with galleries, the GAM cultural centre, an old cinema, bookshops, cafés and wine bars, ideal for an evening stroll and dinner
Barrio Lastarria sits between Parque Forestal and Alameda Avenue, with José Victorino Lastarria Street as its axis, and it is Santiago's most pleasant neighbourhood for a stroll. At the corner of Mulato Gil de Castro Square, there is a weekend market selling used books and handicrafts. Nearby are the Museum of Visual Arts (MAVI), the old Cine El Biógrafo cinema, the Bocanáriz wine bar (where you can taste Chilean wines by the glass, with a wine list of more than 300 labels) and many open-air cafés.
At the northern end are the National Museum of Fine Arts, completed in 1910 (free), and Parque Forestal. At the southern end is the GAM cultural centre (Gabriela Mistral), converted from a former United Nations conference building, which often holds free exhibitions and performances. The neighbourhood is close to Cerro Santa Lucía, so you can climb the hill for the view first and come down for drinks and dinner.
The best time to go is after 17:00, when the terraces are liveliest. Getting there: take metro Line 1 to Universidad Católica station or Line 5 to Bellas Artes station.
Note: many restaurants close on Sundays, and you should keep your belongings secure at night.
Opening hours
All day; shops and restaurants approx. 12:00–24:00
Nearby sights
- Cerro Santa Lucía
- National Museum of Fine Arts
- Barrio Bellavista
- Church of San Francisco
- La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's House)
- Plaza de Armas & Metropolitan Cathedral
- Mercado Central de Santiago
- Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art