Can't beat the views from the top here. Scenic panoramic vistas of the grandiose Santiago that…read moreseems to stretch for kilometers. Pretty Iglesias and a restaurant, plus some souvenirs and kiosks at the top which you can access by gondola or if you're in shape, by foot or by bike. Halfway there's a swimming pool and playgrounds and midway down the cable train, is the zoo. There's also an adventure park at the bottom and a Japanese garden around the bend. Plenty to see and do, perfect for a spring day. Book a gondola ticket online to avoid the waits.

Don't let the 3 stars throw you off that this isn't a nice destination visit when in Santiago. This…read morepark is huge with lots to do from hiking up el Cerro San Cristobal, picnicing, to the zoo. Cerro San Cristobal has the most stunning panoramic views of the city and the Andes in Santiago! We were able to captivate some wonderful drone shots!The Virgin Mary statue is a peaceful sanctuary for those who seek prayer. However, although el Parque Metropolitano is absolutely beautiful, it lacks to be tourist friendly. Ensure you take cash, because to enter the park you need to pay either per person or vehicle and there are is no ATM nor bank nearby. We circled an hour (because parking in front of a bank is non-existent in Santiago) to find a place to take out money. Before visiting el Parque Metropolitano, I checked the website to ensure that the teleférico was operating because when I had gone in the past, the teleférico had been closed and in repair due to the earth quake of 2010. It finally opened in early 2017 so I thought "YES" the teleférico is open and I can finally go. Although the website said that the teleférico operated Tuesday - Sunday when I went on a Tuesday it was closed for regular maintenance... This really ticked me off because on the website it said that the maintenance days were Monday's not Tuesday's. In the past, there used to be a way to drive all the way up to the Virgin Mary (the first two times we drove straight up the cerro). Parking is very limited so if you get lucky you'll find a spot. However, when i just went we were obligated to hike 8KM round trip (up and down the cerro) to see the Virgin. This was challenging since we were with our 11 month old who doesn't walk yet but at least we had our stroller. Once we got to the resting area close to the Virgin after about 45 minutes of walking up hill, the elevators to get to the Virgin were not working so we had to hike up the stairs with our stroller to see the Virgin! Although this is one of the top tourist destinations of Santiago, it definitely lacks to be tourist friendly! Yes the park is beautiful, but it is poorly managed for tourists.

This was fun. Our tour group of 34 piled into a cable car to climb up the steep grade to the top…read more There's a bench in a couple of the cars. But for the most part it's standing room only. You'll be able to see the skyline of Santiago as the car continues to climb. Likewise coming down. Once you get off the cable car you can continue taking the stairs or the roundabout terrace to see the Virgin Mary. There's also an open air chapel. We were given free time on our tour so hubby & I made the most of it. Not much more to do once you've climbed up to see the Virgin Mary and you've taken your scenic photos. Bathrooms, small gift shop, and a cafe. Our group queued up and went down the cable car to our tour bus.

I love funiculars so it's hard for me to give this anything less than five stars. I started at the…read moretop of the mountain after riding up in the cable cars then took the funicular back down. Note that those two means of transport leave you in very different places at the bottom of the mountain. There were some nice cats to pet while waiting in line for about 10 minutes for the car to arrive. The views at the top are amazing so don't forget to look around while you're up at the peak. The ride was about as bumpy as you'd expect. We had a brief pause about halfway down and then we passed the other car that was making the ascent. The incline is fairly steep so each car gets excellent views without being blocked by someone's head in front of you. If you've been to Pittsburgh, this one is definitely a longer ride than either of the inclines there so enjoy the journey!