Enjoy the capital both by day and by night. Most of the country’s civic life takes place in downtown Santiago, where La Moneda (the government palace), Plaza de Armas, and the buildings of the judicial and executive powers are located. With its wide variety of museums and pedestrian streets, the city centre is a spectacle in itself. Neighbourhoods such as Providencia, Bellavista, Las Condes and Vitacura combine shopping, gastronomy and a lively nightlife that continues past 5:00 a.m.
In contrast, San Pedro de Atacama is a small village located in one of the oases found on the altiplano of the country’s II Region. Its current importance lies in the fact that it is considered the archaeological capital of Chile, as well as in the extreme nature of its geographical surroundings, privileged by the beauty of its landscapes and the deep blue of its ever‑clear skies.
