Outdoors in Santiago de Chile

Explore more of Santiago de Chile

Santiago de Chile is a vibrant city with so much to offer. Let's explore it!

Your Guide to Outdoor Activities and Green Spaces in Santiago de Chile

Santiago surprises many visitors who arrive expecting nothing but concrete and asphalt. The reality is quite different: the Chilean capital has a remarkable number of parks, hills, riverside promenades, and green spaces that invite you to step outside, breathe, and disconnect from the urban pace, with the majestic Andes Mountains always as a backdrop. The outdoors in Santiago has a seal entirely its own.

The Santiago Metropolitan Park, popularly known as San Cristóbal Hill, is the city's largest and most beloved green lung. With its walking routes, cycle paths, viewpoints, and themed gardens — such as the Japanese Garden and the National Zoo — it is the Santiaguinos' favourite spot for sunny weekends. A Sunday morning climbing the hill, with the view of the city waking up, is a genuinely capital experience.

Bicentenario Park in Vitacura is, without question, Santiago's great green surprise. Located in front of the city's financial complex, this park of over 30 hectares is home to astonishing biodiversity: swans, ducks, extensive lawns, and vegetation that contrasts strikingly with the modern skyline of skyscrapers. It is perfect for walking, picnics, nature photography, and enjoying the tranquility outdoors. Entry is free.

Parque Araucano, beyond its family and recreational appeal, offers ample spaces ideal for running, cycling, or simply walking under its huge trees. At weekends, the park fills with families, sports enthusiasts, and visitors enjoying a luminous, relaxed side of Santiago.

The Cajón del Maipo deserves special mention, even though it lies just over an hour from the city. This Andean canyon of rivers, mountains, and trails is the perfect natural escape from Santiago. You can go hiking, kayaking, visit reservoirs like El Yeso, or simply settle into a mountain lodge and let the rhythm of nature take over. The pure air of the mountains is part of the experience.

For running and cycling enthusiasts, Santiago has a network of cycle lanes that grows year on year. The Parque Forestal circuit, the cycle lanes in Providencia, and the trails of the Metropolitan Park are firm favourites. On weekends, many prefer to leave the city towards the Andean foothills to practice mountain sports.

The Santiago Botanical Garden, in the heart of the Metropolitan Park, is an oasis of calm in the midst of the city. With a wide variety of plant species, it is perfect for a quiet afternoon of reading or contemplation. It is the ideal refuge to disconnect.

It is also worth exploring the less touristy but equally beautiful parks: Parque Inés de Suárez in Providencia, with its neighbourhood atmosphere; Parque Forestal in the historic centre, with its French-style layout and proximity to the Fine Arts Museum; or Quinta Normal Park in the west of the city, with its museums and lake.

Santiago outdoors is a different city — more relaxed, more human. Go out and discover it.