City Centre

The centre of Santiago is quite compact and easy to explore on foot. The Plaza de Armas contains the cathedral, and is still a focal point for much city life, with people reading papers and playing chess in the square.

The nearby Palacio de la Moneda is the former Presidential Palace, where Salvador Allende was killed when the palace was attacked by artillery and planes in the 1973 coup led by Augusto Pinochet. The Central Market is located close to the river. Its iron structure was built in England in the 19th century before being shipped to Chile and assembled. The fish and fruit stalls in the market are very picturesque, and the market is well worth visiting, especially at lunch time when you can eat at one of the restaurants in the market itself.