A Walking Tour of Providencia

Providencia begins at Plaza Italia, where the people of Santiago often gather for spontaneous celebrations, and continues east into one of the most traditional parts of the capital. Though it offers a wide range of choices for shopping, dining and nightlife, Providencia is a compact neighborhood, and walking is the best way to get to know it. The banks of the Mapocho River are home to two of the best parks in Santiago: Parque Balmaceda, which runs from Plaza Italia to Puente del Arzobispo, and its companion, Parque Uruguay, which continues eastward from the bridge.

Visit Providencia's shopping centers, bookstores, cafés, designer boutiques and shoe stores, eat an ice cream cone at one of the neighborhood parlors or enjoy the nightlife on Av. Manuel Montt or the area around Orrego Luco, where there is always something to see. The Drugstore shopping center houses designer boutiques, bookstores, clothing shops and a café that is one of the traditional haunts of local artists and intellectuals.

Other Providencia attractions include the Parque de las Esculturas sculpture collection (where the river and Av. Pedro de Valdivia meet) and the Providencia Municipal Building in Palacio Falabella (Pedro de Valdivia 963), a historic site which opens its doors every weekend. Parque Metropolitano de Santiago is another nearby landmark that you can access from Av. Pedro de Valdivia. This large city park flanks Cerro San Cristóbal, which is topped by a giant statue of the Virgin Mary and a lookout that offers sweeping views of the valley.

 

Featured Destinations

Downtown Santiago		Las Condes
Providencia		Barrio Bellavista

Touristic Services

Accommodation		Car Rental
Intercity Transportation		Tourism Agencies

Tours you can do

Historic Center Santiago		Shopping Center Santiago
Santiago Culture		Metropolitan Park
Santiago Vineyards		Santiago Cuisine