For couples · Santiago · Chile
Romantic things to do in Santiago
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Apincheira, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Santiago's romantic moments come from its setting: sunsets over the city from the hills, the Andes glowing pink in the evening and long dinners with Chilean wine. A night or two in Valparaíso or a winery hotel adds variety. Couples tend to stay in Lastarria.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 3
- Area for couples
- Lastarria
- Best months
- March–April and October–November
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset on Cerro Santa Lucía
Climb to the summit lookout as the light fades over the centre and the hills of San Cristóbal.
2.Cable car over San Cristóbal
Ride the teleférico across the hill for views of the Andes, then share a glass of wine at the summit.
3.Wine tasting in the Maipo Valley
Spend an afternoon among the vines at a historic estate in Pirque or Alto Jahuel.
4.Dinner in Lastarria
Choose a small restaurant on José Victorino Lastarria street and finish with a pisco sour at a terrace bar.
5.Neruda's love story
Visit La Chascona, the house Neruda built for Matilde Urrutia, then walk Bellavista's mural streets.
Sights couples love
Park · Bellavista
Cerro San Cristóbal and Parque Metropolitano
Go up in the morning after rain or wind, when the smog has cleared and the Andes are sharpest; walk down through the woodland to Pedro de Valdivia.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Active
Historic site · Bellavista
La Chascona
Pair it with Neruda's seaside house at Isla Negra or La Sebastiana in Valparaíso if you plan a coast day trip.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Couples
- Rainy day
Park · Lastarria
Cerro Santa Lucía
Enter by the grand stairway on the Alameda and leave by the Lastarria side for coffee afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers
Lastarria
Barrio Lastarria grew around José Victorino Lastarria street and the small Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, and is now the most walkable base in central Santiago. The Gabriela Mistral Cultural Centre (GAM), the Museo de Bellas Artes and Parque Forestal are a few minutes away, and Plaza de Armas is about 15 minutes on foot.
- Good
- Walkable to the centre and Bellavista; Strong café and restaurant scene; Universidad Católica and Bellas Artes Metro stations
- Watch out
- Busy and noisy on weekend evenings; Limited choice of larger hotels
- Nearby
- Cerro Santa Lucía, GAM, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Parque Forestal
Romantic day trips
- Valparaíso (About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus) — Chile's historic port climbs a ring of hills covered in brightly painted houses, street murals and old funicular lifts.
- Viña del Mar (About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus) — Valparaíso's neighbour is a beach resort with wide boulevards, the flower clock, the Wulff Castle on the rocks and sandy beaches; the Pacific here is cold for swimming.
- Cajón del Maipo (About 1–2 hours by road) — The Maipo River canyon south-east of the city has hiking trails, hot springs, rafting in summer and the turquoise El Yeso reservoir high in the Andes.
- Maipo Valley wineries (Pirque) (About 1 hour by Metro and taxi) — The closest wine country to Santiago, with historic estates such as Concha y Toro in Pirque offering cellar tours and tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère against an Andes backdrop.
- Casablanca Valley (About 1 hour by car) — A cool coastal wine valley on the road to Valparaíso, known for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
- Isla Negra (About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus) — Pablo Neruda's favourite house sits on a rocky Pacific shore and is packed with ship figureheads, bottles and shells; the poet and Matilde Urrutia are buried in its garden.
- Valle Nevado and Farellones (About 1.5–2 hours by road) — The ski resorts of Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado sit above 2,500 metres and are usually open from late June to September.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Pastel de choclo, Cazuela and Sándwich chacarero. Many places close on Sunday evenings and some on Mondays, especially in Lastarria and Barrio Italia.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Santiago romantic?
Santiago's romantic moments come from its setting: sunsets over the city from the hills, the Andes glowing pink in the evening and long dinners with Chilean wine. A night or two in Valparaíso or a winery hotel adds variety.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Santiago?
Sunset on Cerro Santa Lucía: Climb to the summit lookout as the light fades over the centre and the hills of San Cristóbal.
+Where should couples stay in Santiago?
Lastarria: Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía.