La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's House)
La Chascona
Nobel laureate poet Neruda's boat-shaped house built for his lover at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill, with quirky collections and an audio guide; a must-see in Bellavista.
La Chascona (“the Messy-Haired Woman”) is a house Neruda built in 1953 for his secret lover at the time, Matilde Urrutia, who later became his third wife. The name refers to her untamed red hair. The house is split into several structures along the hillside, and the poet designed it like a ship's cabins: low corridors, porthole windows, a bar room, and creaking wooden staircases. Inside are objects he collected from around the world: African masks, colored glass goblets, ship figureheads, and Diego Rivera's double portrait of Matilde (Neruda's profile is hidden in her hair). After the 1973 coup, the house was vandalized, and Matilde insisted on keeping a vigil there for the poet. Visitors use a self-guided audio tour (available in English, about 1 hour). Adult admission is about 9,000 pesos, and time slots must be booked online in advance. The Neruda Foundation also runs Isla Negra, his seaside home toward Valparaíso, and La Sebastiana in Valparaíso; seeing all three gives the most complete picture. The house is at No. 0192 Fernando Márquez de la Plata Street in Bellavista. Baquedano metro station is a 10-minute walk away, and it's conveniently on the same route as the San Cristóbal Hill cable car. Note: photography is not allowed indoors, and it is closed on Mondays. Bellavista turns into a bar district at night, so after your daytime visit, have lunch at Patio Bellavista.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00 (until 19:00 in summer); closed Mondays
Nearby sights
- Barrio Bellavista
- Barrio Lastarria
- National Museum of Fine Arts
- Cerro Santa Lucía
- La Vega Central
- Mercado Central de Santiago
- Plaza de Armas & Metropolitan Cathedral
- Church of San Francisco