Neptune Terrace
Stairs and fountain.
Rjcastillo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rjcastillo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rjcastillo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rjcastillo — CC BY-SA 4.0
A small rocky hill in central Santiago, called Huelén in Mapudungun, at whose foot the Spanish founded the city in 1541. In the nineteenth century mayor Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna turned it into a romantic park of terraces, stairways, stone battlements and fountains. The climb starts at the main entrance on the Alameda at the Neptune Terrace, a grand double stairway and sculpted fountain, then narrow paths and steps wind up among trees, rocks and crenellated walls, past small squares and shady benches. At the top stand the little Hidalgo castle and a narrow lookout reached by stone steps, with views over the modern towers, the old districts and the Andes. Near its foot lies Barrio Lastarria with cafés, bookshops and galleries. Entry is free with your name and ID or passport number registered at the gate, so carry your passport. The upper steps are narrow and steep.
Stairs and fountain.
On the summit.
Cafés and art.
Alameda avenue near Barrio Lastarria, central Santiago
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