NEED TO KNOW
Fly
LAN Airlines operate seven one-stop flights each week from Sydney to Santiago, with onward connections available all over the country.
See
Eclipse Travel offers a five-day Santiago Escape with two nights exploring the city of Santiago, followed by excursions to nearby wineries and the seaside port of Valparaiso.
Stay
The Singular Hotels Santiago – rooms start from USD 280 per night. Enquire about package deals which can be better value.
Climate
Santiago has a semi-arid climate with warm, dry summers and humid winters. Its 520m elevation keeps summer temperatures down and contributes to cool winter mornings. Most rainfall occurs in winter, when the city is also at its most polluted.
Quakes
Chile was hit by a major earthquake in September 2015, measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale and killing 13 people. Marry were put off from travelling to Chile in its aftermath, despite its epicentre being more than 300km from Santiago. Earthquakes are an issue that Chileans have learned to live with. The last sizeable earthquake took place in Santiago in 2010, measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale and lasting three minutes. According to my guide, Santiguans arc so conditioned to earthquakes that they don’t even take notice of them unless they reach at least 6.
