SANTA LUCIA HILL
Santa Lucía Hill (Cerro Santa Lucía) is a small hill in the centre of Santiago, Chile. It borders on Alameda del Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins in the south, Santa Lucía Street in the west and Victoria Subercaseaux on the east. An adjacent metro station is named for it. The hill has an altitude of 629 m and a height of 69 m over the surrounding area. The hill is the remnant of a volcano 15 million years old.
The hill is adorned with ornate facades, stairways and fountains. Atop the hill, there is a viewpoint unsurpassed inside Santiago except by Cerro San Cristóbal. It is a frequent spot for tourists visiting the city.
Located in Santa Lucía Hill there is a monument which consists of a 2 m high stone carved with a paragraph extracted from the text that Pedro de Valdivia sent to the Emperor Carlos V describing the features of the new land conquered.
Charles Darwin visited this peak at one point in his travels; his words are immortalized in a plaque at the summit.
Free; registration at entrance required
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| Fountain in "Patio Circular".
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| Monument of Pedro de Valdivia |
PLAZA DE ARMAS
The capital's main plaza, also the site of the national cathedral and main post office. It's few blocks from the traditional Central Market and has its own Metro Station. During the last years, Plaza de Armas has been used as a meeting and recreation place for the community of Peruvian immigrants. This has lead to a lots of cheap international calling centers, traditional Peruvian restaurants and Peruvian spice and food stores, being an interesting place to walk during day hours.At the big central square, you can not miss the big bronze statue of Pedro De Valdivia.
