Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city, sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range. Plaza de Armas, the grand heart of the city’s old colonial core, is home to 2 neoclassical landmarks: the 1808 Palacio de la Real Audiencia, housing the National History Museum, and the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral. LaChascona is the home-turned-museum of poet Pablo Neruda.

Nearby is San Cristóbal Hill, hosting the massive Parque Metropolitano, with swimming pools, trails, a botanical garden, a zoo and a funicular to its summit. A smaller hill, Santa Lucía, features extravagant landscaping, fountains and promenades. The luxury boutiques of Avenida Alonso de Córdova and the Museo de La Moda fashion museum are highlights of the upscale Vitacura neighborhood. Mock colonial village Pueblito Los Dominicos specializes in crafts. Bustling Mercado Central sells seafood, fruits and vegetables. The Barrio Brasil and bohemian Barrio Bellavista neighborhoods offer lively nightlife.