Housing in Chile

USEFUL INFORMATION: SANTIAGO - CHILE

Santiago, the Chilean capital city.
The view over the Chilean capital of Santiago after a rainy day is overwhelming, with the imposing Andes mountains rising majestically to the East. Santiago is situated in a fertile valley with a pleasant Mediterranean climate, which has led to the emergence of a modern, cosmopolitan city, full of life throughout the year.
Santiago, founded on February 12, 1541 by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia, is the fifth largest city in South America and one of the most beautifully set of any. The city is crossed from E to W by the Río Mapocho, spanned by several bridges.
Santiago dominates Chile in almost every aspect. It is the country's administrative capital and its true political capital, even though the Congress now sits in Valparaíso, the main Chilean seaport in the Pacific Ocean. Santiago is the main centre of finance, industry, culture and communications, and almost no aspect of Chilean life escapes the grip of its big capital city.
You don't have to go far from the capital to find adventure: there's rafting on the Maipo river, mountaineering, trekking and horseback riding in the central Andes, hanggliding or parapente, all within a few hours of Santiago. Between June and September, skiers from around the world are drawn to the ski resorts perched high above the city.

Useful information about Santiago.
Population: 5.8 million people
Altitude: 543 metres above the sea.
Climate: A Mediterranean climate characterizes Central Chile, where Santiago lies, with pronounced seasonal differences: heavier rainfall in the cooler months from May to August, and sunshine the rest of the year.

International airport: All international flights arrive at Santiago's modern, comfortable Arturo Merino Benitez airport, located 30 minutes from downtown.

Underground railway: Santiago's subway inaugurated in 1975 is one of the most pleasant mass transit systems in the world. There are three lines in operation: line number 1, crossing the city from East to West. Lines 2 and 5 running North-South.

Trains: No passenger trains exist to Northen Chile. All South-bound trains leave from Estación Central at Alameda avenue (gett off the subway at "Estacion Central" station, Line 1).

Bus stations: Santiago has 3 main terminal stations: Alameda, San Borja, and Terrapuerto Los Heroes.

Toll highways: Today all highways to and from Santiago (for example, to Valparaiso) are high speed Toll Highways; even many highways connecting different sections of the main city are toll highways running at 80km/hr thus permitting, for instance, that the time to get from the international airport to Las Condes is about 25 minutes during non peak hours.