Cerro Santa Lucía
Cerro Santa Lucía is a large park in the center of Santiago. It’s name means Santa Lucía Hill. The park is built on a hill created by an old volcano.
Neptune Fountain and Castillo Hidalgo are both located within Cerro Santa Lucía.
A series of staircases and beautiful terraces climb up the side of the hill. Throughout the park are different places with stunning views of the city with the Andes Mountains in the background.
The park is particularly significant to Santiago because it commemorates the location where Pedro de Valdivia declared the founding of Santiago in 1541.
Visiting the Park
Open Tuesdays through Sundays.
Summer hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Winter hours: 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Admission is free to enter the park, including Castillo Hidalgo and Neptune Fountain.
When you enter the park, security may ask for your name and your passport number. This is standard in many tourist locations in Santiago.
The park is very large, and divided into different sections. There are different entrances for some of the different sections.
Location
The park is located between the Santa Lucia and the Universidad Católica metro stations on the red line.
The park is across the street from Biblioteca Nacional de Chile, the national library of Chile.
It is about a twenty minute walk from Palacio de La Moneda and about a ten minute walk from Plaza de Armas.
Neptune Fountain
Fuente Neptuno
Enter the park on Alameda.
Neptune Fountain is a very famous fountain in Santiago. It is an iconic location that is often used as a symbol for the city. The fountain is located in the part of the park closest to the National Library of Chile, which you could easily go visit right after seeing the fountain.
Neptune Fountain is part of a large area which is called Neptune Terrace (Terrazzo Neptuno). It is a beautiful place to stop and take pictures.
Center for Exposition and Sales of Indigenous Art
Centro de Exposition y Venta de Arte Indigena
To the side of the fountain is the Centro de Exposition y Venta de Arte Indigena, which is a large hall that has displays of traditional indigenous handicrafts for sale. There is a range of different types of items from sale, from cheaper souvenirs to higher quality items.
The items being sold are supposed to be authentic Mapuche handicrafts. There seemed to be some regulation to enforce that, unlike many markets that are now selling things that are obviously just mass produced in a factory.
The area is set up nicely in a large hall. Different vendors have booths with their items on display. Most, if not all, of the vendors accept credit cards.
Japanese Garden
Jardín Japones
Enter on Av. Pedro de Valdivia Norte.
Jardín Japones is a smaller portion of the larger park. The garden is quiet and relaxing. There are sculptures and ponds, and lots of places to sit and relax. The garden is really beautiful, and has lots of very nice details to discover as you walk around and explore.
It is not as spectacular as Fuente Neptuno, and the views are not as impressive as from Fort Hidalgo. However, it is a nice garden peaceful place to take a break from a long day in the city.
Hidalgo Castle
Castillo Hidalgo
When I went to Neptune Fountain, I could see people walking around the castle up above. It took a bit to figure out how to get there. I believe the main entrance to the castle that used to lead directly from Neptune Fountain and is now closed. I had to leave the park from Neptune Fountain, and walk around to another entrance for the park to access the castle.
The castle is very nice, and I highly recommend visiting it, especially considering how easy it is to get to and that it is free to enter. Unfortunately though, it is in some amount of disrepair. The only parts of the castle open to the public are the outside castle grounds. Large portions of the castle are closed off, and many outside stairways and walkways were also closed.
This castle sits on the top of the hill, and has an amazing view of the city. There are lots and lots of stairs to get to the top, and some of the stairways are narrow and uneven. I was glad I brought a bottle of water with me.
Please don’t let the comments about the disrepair of the castle or steep stairs dissuade you from visiting. If you don’t feel comfortable taking all of the stairs to the top, there are still plenty of viewpoints lower down. There are benches and places to stop and take a break or take pictures along the way. There are sculptures and well maintained gardens throughout.
History of Cerro Santa Lucía
Cerro Santa Lucía is a hill that was formed by an old volcano. In Mapuche it is called Huelén Hill.
On December 13, 1540 Pedro de Valdivia arrived in the area. He was a Spanish conquistador sent from Peru by Pizarro to establish a city. The city was Santiago which was built in the location of Huelén Hill. The Spaniards named the hill Santa Lucía because December 13 is the feast day for Saint Lucy.
For many years the hill functioned as a religious site, and hermitages were built there.
The location was seen as an important site for military defense of the city. The Chilean War of Independence lasted from 1810 – 1818. The period from 1814 – 1817 is called the reconquest, when Spanish loyalists retook control, and ruled harshly.
The last Spanish governor of Chile was Casimiro Marcó del Pont. During the reconquest he constructed two defensive forts on the hill. One of them was originally called Santa Lucía, but is now called Hidalgo Castle.
The location was then used as an astronomical observatory. James Melville Gilliss, the American astronomer who founded the United States Naval Observatory, led a naval astronomical expedition to Chile. The expedition lasted from 1849 – 1952 and enjoyed significant support from the governments of both the United States and Chile. The expedition was successful and a significant amount of research was completed, which greatly benefitted both nations.
From 1872 – 1874 the mayor of Santiago, Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna transformed the hill into a public park. He fountains and sculptures put in, as well as nice gardens. It was an enormous undertaking, and his work created the beautiful park that it is today.