Bellavista

What you gain

• ↑La Chascona (Casa Museo La Chascona) is the most personally revealing of Neruda's three houses — designed with his characteristic maritime obsession, full of ship wheels, model boats, and bar collections that reveal the character of South America's most celebrated 20th-century poet. The neighbourhood is named in his poem. Open Tuesday–Sunday, audio guide included in admission.
• ↑The Cerro San Cristóbal funicular (teleférico) leaves from the north end of Pío Nono and climbs to the Santuario de la Inmaculada Concepción — a 14-metre statue overlooking the entire city. The views from the summit at dawn in winter (when the smog is clear after overnight rain) and in spring (when the Andes are snowed and visible) are the finest in Santiago.
• ↑The nightlife is the most animated in the city: Bar Constitución, El Toro (tapa-style), and the peñas on Calle Ernesto Pinto Lagarrigue offer folk music, salsa, and Chilean cumbia until very late. Bellavista is where Santiago comes alive after midnight.

What you sacrifice

• ↓Weekend nights in Bellavista are genuinely loud — Pío Nono is a restaurant and bar street that operates until 4am. Accommodation on the main street should be avoided by those seeking quiet. Side street options are better.
• ↓The neighbourhood's lively night character makes it a poor choice for early risers and families. The street scene after midnight on weekends involves significant alcohol consumption and the associated behaviour.