It is common to have a helado at Emporio la Rosa in Lastarria and walk to the Forestal Park, were there are lots of children and dogs playing. It is a relaxing place, and for activity enthusiastic, there is a bike rental.
Go to the base of cerro San Cristobal and take the Funicular to the top. You will have almost a 300° view of Santiago from different places at the esplanade. You can taste a bowl of mote con huesillos (cooked peaches (old and dried) in a nice sugary juice (not too sweet) with cooked wheat.
I went up the Cerro San Cristobal the first time in the funicular and then walked down. After seeing all the people going down the hill in bikes I said to myself I had to do it! A couple of days later I rented a bike and decided to go up the hill. Only little effort is needed, 25 minutes going at a slow pace and then to go down it's all about adrenaline! And the amazing views of the city, going down the hill are priceless.LOVED IT!
This park of a small size has a great place for kids to play and a restaurant for a weekend lunch. I recommend it.
We took the funicular up from near the entrance to the Parque Metropolitano on a hot, sunny day and enjoyed several hours of strolling the paths up to the viewpoint and onwards to the impressive statue. The views of the city were stunning. The statue of the Virgen de la Inmaculada Concepcion is beautiful and the little chapel adjacent is lovely. I would recommend this excursion. Do it in the morning before the crowds gather and the day heats up. One can buy a ticket that includes admission to the zoo partway up the hill but we did not do this.
People are very friendly; children enjoying the age and older guys playing dominos in groups. Great shade from stately trees along with water features that even the kids enjoyed.
I went here on Sunday, as I did not have any tours this day. Took the fanicular up the mountain. There is a zoo on the way up, and a big observation area with beautiful views of Santiago. There are many walking trails, and two beautiful pools for a refreshing dip on a hot summer day.
We did not have a lot of time to spend at the park, and it was a very hot and sunny day anyway, but this park has a lot to offer, so plan to spend a full day. It has a Japanese garden, and a botanical garden- that we did not do but seem nice. We got we the car close the famous statue of the Virgen (you can also get there with the funicular which is fun for kids). If you want to go really close to the statue you need to climb many stairs... but the view up there is beautiful. I went up with the older kids, and the younger ones stayed back with mu husband at one of the cafes.There were many other things seemed worth of exploring and enjoying with the kids, I regretted we did not have time to do them.
We walked from Providencia all the way up to the top (you can also get there by elevator) and it was well worth it! Great views of the city and fun trails leading up the summit. You also get a taste of local life as it was packed with locals running, cycling and having picnic with their family. If you are looking for an enjoyable outdoor activity while in Santiago, highly recommend visiting this park.
it's a realy nice place. you can go to ride a bike, walking around, go to the pools or take the funicular to enjoy the realy beatiful view. confy shoes are a good option if you are planning go up by funicular and came down walking.