We Asked Two Cumbia Singers What to Do in Santiago, Chile

As one of the biggest cities in the Western Hemisphere, Santiago, Chile, is almost too complex to fit in your head. You can’t really sum it up. Santiago is historic and modern, natural and urban, relaxed and fast-paced, artistic and commercial. You could visit the place countless times and never do the same thing twice. It’s all about knowing where to go.

If you’re a music lover or creative person, we think the best guide to any city is a local musician. They play gigs. They know people. They spend a lot of time out in the city, getting to know its rhythms. Recently, we capped off our first Sunset Sessions world tour with a helipad performance looking over Santiago, featuring the hit cumbia duo Diego Noguera and Vicente Cibie, aka Amigo de Artistas. These guys are a great showcase for the complexity of Santiago. They’re super modern, first taking off on social media. But at the same time, their music uses rhythms from cumbia, a traditional Latin music genre that remains vibrant to this day.

After their Sunset Sessions performance, we chilled with Amigo de Artistas on the helipad overlooking the Andes mountains and asked for a few tips about their hometown of Santiago — places to eat, drink and have a good time. Here’s what they told us.

Best Large Music Venue: Movistar Arena

For touring arena shows, the big spot in Santiago is Movistar Arena. That’s Diego’s immediate pick for the best venue in town. He thinks big. Reaching a capacity of 17,000 people for concerts, Movistar is one of the biggest indoor arenas in all of South America. The place is booked solid with big artists from Latin America, Europe and the United States. You can see Avenged Sevenfold. You can see Dream Theater. You can see Rosalía. Lots of big tours come through a city like Santiago, so see what’s on when you’re there!

Best Small Music Venue: Club Chocolate

Vicente went the total other direction with his answer for best music venue, picking a popular club the duo have played themselves, Club Chocolate. It’s a classic double-decker nightclub with high-impact lighting, a nice loud sound system and plenty of drinks flowing. (Get reservations if you want table service). The lineups consist of DJs, rappers, bands and other kinds of entertainment. So check the schedule when you’re visiting Santiago. If Amigo de Artistas is any indication, they book great shows here. Also, there’s a big disco ball.

Tip: Apparently, parking can be confusing. You’re looking for a place called Bellavista 037. Park there. They charge less if you’re going to Club Chocolate.

Best Upscale Bar: Gracielo Bar Providencia

No doubt about it, Santiago is a fantastic drinking town. And when you’re hitting the bars, there are two Chilean drinks you absolutely need to try: pisco and Carménère. Pisco is a ubiquitous grape liquor in Chile, common in cocktails like Pisco Sour or straight. Carménère is a red grape that’s used in the signature wine of the country. They are both very accessible drinks, great for connoisseurs and casuals alike. They won’t be hard to find. Vicente’s favorite bar, Gracielo, serves plenty of both drinks. It’s a cool white stucco building with red clay roof tiles and an outdoor bar area. The neighborhood, Providencia, is upscale and active. Actually, "neighborhood" isn't quite right — in Santiago, they call them communes. Providencia has some major commercial districts, trendy bohemian areas and old fashioned mansions from previous eras. Definitely worth exploring. Note: Gracielo takes reservations. It’s a popular spot.

Best Late Night Food (and Bar!): Miguelayo Vitacura

Once again, the other member of Amigo de Artistas went the other direction with his answer. Diego brought up Miguelayo as a place to hit late at night, a true local favorite that serves comfort food 24/7 at locations all over Santiago. (Yes, you read that right: they are always open!) It's basically the opposite of Gracielo, but Vicente still lit up when Diego mentioned it. You will find real Chileans like these two at Miguelayo at all hours, enthusiastically digging into burgers and hot dogs. Miguelayo also has some specifically Chilean food like churrascos, a Latin American barbecue dish made with steak grilled on skewers over open flame. If you go to the Miguelayo location in the notoriously chic neighborhood of Vitacura, you can even drink beer while you chow down—a first for Miguelayo. Maybe try churrascos, grab a brew and then walk across the neighborhood to Armani, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Vitacura is like the Rodeo Drive of Santiago. But we bet Vitacura has better burgers.

Best Things to Do on Your Free Time: Get Outside!

We’ve talked to the artists on every stop of the Sunset Sessions tour, and we like to ask about free things to do around town. They nearly always say the outdoors. Amigo de Artistas were no exception. Diego in particular likes hiking in the mountains and hills overlooking Santiago. Both singers also like playing sports, which you can find people doing in public parks across Santiago. One of the most fun (and famous) parks is Parque Bicentenario, running along the western edge of the Vitacura neighborhood and the eastern edge of the Recoleta neighborhood. The park has views of downtown, exercise areas, nature, playgrounds, a dog agility course, cycling, etc. It’s pretty much the vision of a modern urban park. But whether it's this park or another, Santiago or elsewhere, our Sunset Sessions performers all said the same thing: Get outside!

Best Place to Watch the Sunset: San Cristóbal Hill

For watching the sunset, the guys liked the helipad quite a bit. They said they were “amazed” by the view. But as another option (the helipad is not public) they pointed over to San Cristóbal Hill, an iconic location overlooking the city. It’s a leisurely 2-3 hour hike up the hill if you want a scenic experience, with lots of places to stop and look over the city as the sun gets lower. At the top is a public area with an iconic Virgin Mary statue and one of the best sunset views you'll ever see in your life. San Cristóbal Hill is part of Santiago Metropolitan Park, which includes a few other hills. It’s the largest urban park in the Americas, more than double the size of Central Park!

We’ve Gone Places. Now, It’s Your Turn.

Our first Sunset Sessions tour took us all over the world: Sydney, Barcelona, Seattle, London, Tokyo, Atlanta and Santiago. Every city is different, and you can see it in the unique artists who played all these rooftop shows for us. (The full Sunset Sessions playlist is a pretty good binge.) It has been a fun tour for Mackie. But what matters more is that we can encourage you to get out into the world, too. Nothing is more inspiring than seeing a band you’ve never seen before in a place you’re never been. Get out there and GO places. You'll find Mackie everywhere music goes.

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