PLAZA DE ARMAS

This main square, the heart of the capital, owes its layout to Pedro de Valdivia in 1541. In its centre stood a fortified building where the Spaniards kept a supply of gunpowder. As its name suggests, it was the scene of military exercises and this explains why many Latin American cities have a square of the same name. As for the parvis of Notre-Dame in France, it is from the Plaza de Armas that the national distances are measured. The square is surrounded by important historical buildings: Santiago Cathedral, the Casa de Gobernadores de Chile, which today houses the municipality of Santiago, the Central Post Office and the History Museum. In the square, the equestrian statue of Pedro de Valdivia was donated to the city by the Hispanic community on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Chilean independence. To the south, the Portal Fernández Concha offers under its arches a multitude of small Chilean restaurants, as well as stalls that serve the completo, the local hot dog, at low prices. Always very lively, no matter what time of day it is, you will come across groups of carabineros, mime shows, painters offering caricatures to tourists, urban dance performances, chess players and comedians who throw themselves into stand-up comedy by addressing the crowd directly. A very pretty square shaded by palm trees where it is nice to stroll, but beware, however, as in all large capitals, of pickpockets.