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Active & outdoors in Santiago

Santiago de Chile offers a wide range of outdoor activities across its neighbourhoods and natural surroundings. Cerro Santa Lucía provides a green retreat in the heart of the city, while Cerro El Plomo on the urban fringe draws hikers into the Andean foothills. Sports fans have no shortage of venues to choose from, including the Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium, Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida, Estadio Santa Laura, and the Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa. For a more leisurely outing, the amusement park Fantasilandia is a popular open-air destination.

12 places · Santiago, Chile · Editorially curated

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  • Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport
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    Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport

    Santiago

    architectureculturelocal gems

    Aeropuerto Internacional Arturo Merino Benítez in the municipality of Pudahuel is Chile's main international airport and a key hub for air travel across South America. Direct connections link it to Europe, North America, and all major South American cities. Named after Arturo Merino Benítez, the founder of the Chilean Air Force, it serves as the primary entry point for travellers to Chile. From here, the Atacama Desert in the north, the wine regions to the south, or the Patagonian fjords are all reachable within a few hours.

  • Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa
    Wikimedia Commons

    Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa

    Santiago

    historylocal gemsknowledge

    The Campos de Sports de Ñuñoa was a historic sports complex in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago, Chile. Owned by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile from 1927 to 1938, it served as an early home ground for Club Deportivo Universidad Católica. It coexisted with the Estadio Universidad Católica and was a key node in the development of Chilean club football, reflecting an era when university sport and civic life were deeply intertwined.

  • Cerro El Plomo
    Wikimedia Commons

    Cerro El Plomo

    Santiago

    naturehistoryknowledge

    Cerro El Plomo is a 5,424-metre stratovolcano in the Chilean Andes, 46 kilometres northeast of Santiago de Chile, and one of the country's most frequently climbed five-thousanders. Its relatively low technical difficulty — essentially a demanding trek without technical climbing sections — draws hundreds of ambitious hikers every year. Yet the mountain is far more than a sporting challenge: around 1500 AD, the Inca regarded it as a sacred mountain god and performed a child sacrifice on its summit, burying the offering in the eternal cold. When Argentine mountaineers reached the summit plateau in 1954, they discovered the frozen mummy of the child — today one of the most significant artefacts of Inca mountain worship, on display at the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Santiago.

  • Cerro Santa Lucía
    Wikimedia Commons

    Cerro Santa Lucía

    Santiago

    natureknowledgeromance

    Cerro Santa Lucía is a small but striking andesitic basalt hill rising from the very centre of Santiago, Chile's capital. Its original Mapuche name is Huelén, and according to tradition it was from this rock that conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago in 1541. At a summit elevation of 629 metres it rises only 69 metres above the surrounding streets, yet it shapes the cityscape in a way that belies its modest height. In the 19th century Mayor Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna had the bare rocky ridge planted with trees, adorned with romantic stairways, pavilions, fountains, and viewing platforms, and opened to the public as a park. Since then Cerro Santa Lucía has been one of the most beloved spots in central Santiago — a green refuge offering panoramic views over the city and toward the Andes.

  • Claro Arena
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    Claro Arena

    Santiago

    culturelocal gems

    The Claro Arena — formerly known as Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo — is the home ground of Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, one of Chile's most successful football clubs. The stadium opened on 4 September 1988 in the northeastern district of Las Condes and holds approximately 20,249 seated spectators. Its location on the outskirts of Santiago, with the Andes as a backdrop, makes it one of the most scenic football venues in the country. Alongside league and cup matches of the "Cruzados", the Claro Arena also hosts concerts and other large-scale events. The current name comes from the telecommunications company Claro, which holds the naming rights.

  • Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida
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    Estadio Bicentenario de La Florida

    Santiago

    local gems

    The Estadio Bicentenario Municipal de La Florida is located in the municipality of the same name in the southeast of the Chilean capital Santiago de Chile. Opened in 1986, the stadium holds 8,500 spectators and serves as the home ground of Audax Italiano, one of Chile's most traditional football clubs with their distinctive green-and-white colours. The Estadio Municipal represents Chilean neighbourhood football of the 1980s — compact, community-oriented and without the monumental scale of the great national stadiums. For visitors wanting to experience Santiago's everyday football beyond the Estadio Nacional, it offers an accessible sports experience with direct contact to local fan culture.

  • Estadio Independencia
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    Estadio Independencia

    Santiago

    local gemsknowledge

    Estadio Independencia was the third home ground of Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, located in the Independencia municipality of northern Santiago. Opened on 12 October 1945, it hosted Chilean professional football, national title decisions, and a Latin American boxing championship. The stadium has since been demolished.

  • Estadio Municipal de La Pintana
    Wikimedia Commons

    Estadio Municipal de La Pintana

    Santiago

    architecturelocal gems

    Estadio Municipal de La Pintana is a multi-use stadium in the La Pintana municipality of southern Santiago de Chile. With a capacity of 6,000 spectators, it is primarily used as a football ground and provides an important home for local amateur sports.

  • Estadio Municipal Sin Iluminacion
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    Estadio Municipal Sin Iluminacion

    Santiago

    local gems

    The Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna is the home ground of Club Deportivo Palestino, one of the most well-known clubs of the Chilean-Palestinian community. The stadium is located in the densely populated La Cisterna district in southern Santiago de Chile and was inaugurated in 1988 with a friendly match against Mexican club Puebla. Originally built for 12,000 spectators, it was renovated in 2020 and now holds around 6,000 seats. The club wears the colors of the Palestinian flag and stands as a symbol of one of the largest Palestinian communities outside the Middle East.

  • Estadio Santa Laura
    Wikimedia Commons

    Estadio Santa Laura

    Santiago

    culturehistorylocal gems

    Founded in 1923, the Estadio Santa Laura — officially Estadio Santa Laura-Universidad SEK — is a 22,000-capacity football ground in Santiago de Chile serving as the home of Unión Española. The club was founded by Spanish immigrants and remains one of the most storied in the Chilean capital. The compact, atmospheric stadium is deeply embedded in its neighbourhood and offers the kind of intimate matchday experience that large modern arenas rarely replicate. For visitors interested in local football culture rather than showcase venues, Santa Laura delivers a genuine slice of Santiago sporting life.

  • Fantasilandia
    Wikimedia Commons

    Fantasilandia

    Santiago

    naturefamily outings

    Fantasilandia is Chile's oldest and best-known amusement park, set within Parque O'Higgins in the heart of Santiago de Chile. Since opening in 1978, it has grown from a modest fairground into a full-scale theme park with over 40 attractions including roller coasters, water slides, free-fall rides, and dedicated children's areas. The park appeals to all age groups, making it a popular destination for families as well as groups of friends. On weekends and public holidays, it fills with locals and becomes a lively social hub with food stalls and live entertainment.

  • Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium
    Wikimedia Commons

    Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium

    Santiago

    culturehistory

    The Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is Chile's largest and most significant stadium. Inaugurated in 1938, it lies in the Ñuñoa municipality of Santiago and holds around 47,000 spectators. It forms part of a 64-hectare sports complex that includes tennis courts, a velodrome, and additional sporting facilities. The stadium gained international recognition as a venue for the 1962 FIFA World Cup and as the home of the Chilean national team. A dark chapter in its history followed the 1973 military coup, when it was used as a detention camp for political prisoners. Today it is once again a vibrant sports center, hosting major concerts and sporting events.

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