Violence in Santiago

[teacher8]

Has anyone heard from Princess for the Jan 5th sailing, if any alternative arrangements would be in place for this sailing?

[Ivy86]

Cruise line’s are not deciding anything yet. I’ll be on the Norwegian Star in February and so far cruise still on . Hopefully riots will be over by that time 

[TeeRick]

We are on Celebrity Eclipse departing Jan 5th from San Antonio.  Many of us are staying pre-cruise in Santiago. We are all waiting and watching.

[vakamalua]

New agreement signed today in Chile:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/15/americas/chile-congress-constitution-protests-intl-hnk/index.html

 

[TeeRick]

Yes we got this from our Tour operator I Love Chile.

 

Regarding the situation in Chile, yesterday the President signed an agreement with all the parties to go ahead with a new constitution. This was one of the most important issues in the protests. We think the protests will go down and everything will start to work normally. Thereby, we should have everything ok during your stay in Chile.

[catsngoats]

Thx for this article.  I do hope this will bring an end to the instability.  I really want to be on Oceania Marina when she sails from San Antonio on Jan 4.  There is no other way to this port from USA than through Santiago airport and 90 min road trip.

[Ivy86]

Situation in Chile is far from over. Just be cautious and alert when visiting the city.

[CCWineLover]

Yes far from over.  It can erupt any given day and in most any place there.  I've been following Trip Advisor forum for the best information.   From a post sent Nov 21 - again, the obvious - be aware of surroundings and people ready to use the "protests" to commit crimes.

" Just got back from a trip to Santiago as well as Patagonia. No issues in Patagonia or getting there and back. Also did a day trip to Casablanca without issue. Saw plenty of protesters and smelled the teargas most of the time we were in Santiago. We were staying in Lastarria, about 3 blocks from the Plaza Italian. Did not affect any of our plans as we mostly planned to go out to bars and restaurants. Also did a walking tour with a guide when we first got in which was helpful as far as what to look out for with the protests. Most of restaurants we were looking for were open although a few places were closing early or only open to hotel guests if associated with a hotel. Unfortunately during our last night we were walking back to our hotel which was about 2 blocks away from where we ate and several “protesters” jumped out of a van and tried to grab my wife’s purse. After some pulling and grabbing they gave up, jumped back in their van and drove away. Several bystanders came to our aid but felt that since nothing was stolen the police would be of little benefit. Had been following this post prior to the trip and felt comfortable not cancelling based on the info I had seen. Did want to post my experience for future travelers still deciding though. While talking with locals there had not been much heard about tourist being targeted but the concern was that as the police continue to be stretched thin this type of crime aimed at tourists may rise. Would not think anyone would need to change their plans if they are just passing through the city to other destinations, may want to change plans if your accommodations are in Lastarria. Although prior to that last night we felt relatively safe. "

[vakamalua]

Does anyone who is in or has been to Santiago recently have an update on the situation there?  Neighborhoods affected?  Roads blocked?  Sites closed?

 

Our planned visit isn't until February but assessing the situation.

[LocoLoco1]

2 hours ago, vakamalua said:

Does anyone who is in or has been to Santiago recently have an update on the situation there?  Neighborhoods affected?  Roads blocked?  Sites closed?

 

Our planned visit isn't until February but assessing the situation.

LUCIA NEWMAN is reporting as of 27 NOV, 2019 Santiago is still crippled by the violence and looting. Large Malls and Super-stores ransacked again in last few days. Mass transit is not fully functioning. I would follow Lucia's reports....

[LocoLoco1]

30 NOV 2019 Chile Football (soccer) Federation has cancelled the remaining Season's matches. World Rally Motor Race also cancelled due to 'unrest'. APEC (Asian-Pacific Economic Summit) for World leaders and UN Climate Convention in Santiago for December 2019 cancelled as well. Chile Stock Market and Peso currency plunged as of late November, 2019.

[kimanjo]

On 11/29/2019 at 4:51 PM, vakamalua said:

Does anyone who is in or has been to Santiago recently have an update on the situation there?  Neighborhoods affected?  Roads blocked?  Sites closed?

 

Our planned visit isn't until February but assessing the situation.

Just got back, was there on Nov 28 & 29.  We stayed at the Ritz Carlton.  We did a 16km bike tour of the whole city. Some of the intersections in the protest areas had no lights, no police, and our bike guide got us through fine. We went everywhere.  We never felt unsafe.  Went to the Consternera Mall, ate outdoor restaurants,  walked 7 miles the other day.  I know we were in a great neighborhood, but the people were fantastic.  They were so grateful for the tourists not cancelling.  We had a lovely time. My 2 cents.

[roscoe39]

5 hours ago, kimanjo said:

Just got back, was there on Nov 28 & 29.  We stayed at the Ritz Carlton.  We did a 16km bike tour of the whole city. Some of the intersections in the protest areas had no lights, no police, and our bike guide got us through fine. We went everywhere.  We never felt unsafe.  Went to the Consternera Mall, ate outdoor restaurants,  walked 7 miles the other day.  I know we were in a great neighborhood, but the people were fantastic.  They were so grateful for the tourists not cancelling.  We had a lovely time. My 2 cents.

thanks very much Kimanjo - that's really encouraging. Glad you had a great trip. regards

[yellowbirdtoo]

Hi Kimanjo,Thanks for your report.

I am arriving SCL Santiago Airport on 1/2/2020.

My plan was to use the convenient TurBus or Pullmen Bus from the airport, to go to the Alameda Bus Station, and stay at the Ibis Santiago Stacion Central, which is right next to the TurBus/Pullman buses that goes to San Antonio cruise port.

Have you seen any signs of riots at the area of the bus station, its closure, or buses not running due to road blocks, etc.?

Any advice appreciated !

Su

[kimanjo]

7 hours ago, yellowbirdtoo said:

Hi Kimanjo,Thanks for your report.

I am arriving SCL Santiago Airport on 1/2/2020.

My plan was to use the convenient TurBus or Pullmen Bus from the airport, to go to the Alameda Bus Station, and stay at the Ibis Santiago Stacion Central, which is right next to the TurBus/Pullman buses that goes to San Antonio cruise port.

Have you seen any signs of riots at the area of the bus station, its closure, or buses not running due to road blocks, etc.?

Any advice appreciated !

Su

 

When we departed our Seabourn Cruise ( San Antonio port) I had originally planned to take the bus into Santiago city.  With the civil unrest, I booked transport thru Seabourn, unsure how/if the public transport would be running. 

  A.  We met a couple from Canada who took the bus ( pubic transport) from San Antonio to Valparaiso, and then Valparaiso to SCL (where we saw them in the airport). and they said it was fine.

  B. We saw quite a few people after picking up their luggage at the port ( after the short shuttle drive to the port entrance) , then self walking to the bus terminal.  Which I think is just a short walk away.  I had printed out the bus stop from an another thread in case we would be taking the bus.

  C.  All seemed to be working fine.  However, we skipped port of Antofagasta because of port strike, so I would try and monitor. A port strike at San Antonio or blocked roads is possible.  It just seemed to be working perfectly normal to us. 

Hope this helps.

  

[LocoLoco1]

Thanks!! Helpful....

[TeeRick]

On 12/8/2019 at 7:01 PM, LocoLoco1 said:

Thanks!! Helpful....

THANKS to all for keeping us updated.  We leave in a few short weeks for Santiago.

[bradshore13]

It’s such a shame what is going on in Chile, but i understand that politically the country needs a change for the better. I am in contact with friends I have in the country and there will be demonstrations from January to April when Chile will have a referendum for a new constitution. Read up on the country’s history if you can.

 

From what i understand the violent incidents mainly happen in the center around Plaza Baquedano and start around 16pm so it’s safe to go around and  take photos from 10am till 16pm. Barrio Italia, ProvIdencia,  Vitacura and Las Condes are areas safe to go out at night with lots of great bars and restaurants although Bellavista is close to Baquedano it remains active at night with lots of clubs bars and restaurants open, yet still a place where you need to be vigilant toward petty crime, like pick pockets etc.

 

Viña del  Mar is un-effected, while Valparaiso has been effected on a small business level. Tourism still remains active, with Cerro Allegre and Cerro Concepcion the main tourist hills with great bars and restaurants .

 

There are a lot of Chileans that need tourism.  As long as you have a good guide, know the safe areas and avoid marches past 16pm you will be OK.

 

Also don’t forget that the vineyards are the best place to be.  The Casablanca valley between Santiago and Valparaiso has great food and wine on offer away from the cities.

 

Emiliana Organic

Veramonte

Matetic

Casa Marin

Casas del Bosque

Bodegas RE

 

A great agency to consult is www.winetoursvalparaiso.cl Michael the guy who runs it is a British expat.

[txjim09]

Bradshore, appreciate the update

[cruizinfools]

A little late to post but hopefully still helpful to some. Our Celebrity Eclipse cruise ended in San Antonio on 12/6/2019. We took a transfer/tour with Tours by Locals to Santiago where we stayed at a hotel in Lasterria for 2 nights, right next to Santa Lucia Park and 1 block from Lasterria street. It was a great location. Our tour was a perfect introduction to the city - our tour guide spoke of the protests and also let us know how close we were to many restaurants, shops, and bars. We walked many places during the day and in the evening and felt comfortable for the most part. We were amazed at the amount of graffiti, especially on monuments and public buildings. We were very disappointed that we weren’t able to ride the subway - the two closest stations to our hotel were not open due to the damage from the protests. There were also many street stop lights that were not working. We thought the local people were very nice and helpful. Friday evening we did see many people that we believe had dispersed after a protest walking on Lasterria as we were looking for a place to have dinner, some chanting and/or beating on items to make noise. But they were strung out in small groups, some families with small children, peaceful and not threatening. On Saturday morning we took a walking tour with Strawberry Tours (free - pay at your discretion) of the Central Market area - excellent! Have to say that we would not have done this on our own as the traffic and the amount of people on the street and in the markets was crazy! A tour guide was essential and ours was great. If you go, don't be fooled by what is called Central Market. That is just one small section of the markets and not very busy. Our tour started and ended at that location. The "real" markets are across the street where the majority of the Santiago people shop. We also saw and heard some more people that might have been "protesting" - more chanting and making noise. We walked to Plaza Italia on Sunday afternoon. There apparently was a small “protest” going on as we did see water cannons being shot at people, but we were still several blocks away and couldn’t really tell what was happening. By the time we walked the last few blocks, it had calmed down. Quite a few people around, but again very peaceful. It was interesting to see quite a few vendors with small carts hawking drinks and food - not missing a chance to make money!  We are so glad that we did not cancel our plans to spend some time in Santiago. Although we were ready to get home and back to normalcy (16 day cruise), we could have used another couple of days to explore more of the city. Our hotel arranged our transfer to the airport Sunday early evening for our midnight flight to LAX. (17000 Chilian pesos - about $21 conversion rate at that time).

 

Santiago is having more than their share of problems right now, but like any big city, you need to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Many of the bad experiences being reported could happen anywhere. JMHO.  Safe travels everyone.

[TeeRick]

Thank you!  We just arrived and we are on Eclipse starting Jan 5 from San Antonio to Buenos Aires.  Currently in downtown Santiago.  It is crowded and bustling.  I would have loved to see it before all the graffiti and damage.  So we will stay close to our hotel and plan winery tours outside the city.

[CCWineLover]

On 1/2/2020 at 10:10 PM, cruizinfools said:

A little late to post but hopefully still helpful to some. Our Celebrity Eclipse cruise ended in San Antonio on 12/6/2019. We took a transfer/tour with Tours by Locals to Santiago where we stayed at a hotel in Lasterria for 2 nights, right next to Santa Lucia Park and 1 block from Lasterria street. It was a great location. Our tour was a perfect introduction to the city - our tour guide spoke of the protests and also let us know how close we were to many restaurants, shops, and bars. We walked many places during the day and in the evening and felt comfortable for the most part. We were amazed at the amount of graffiti, especially on monuments and public buildings. We were very disappointed that we weren’t able to ride the subway - the two closest stations to our hotel were not open due to the damage from the protests. There were also many street stop lights that were not working. We thought the local people were very nice and helpful. Friday evening we did see many people that we believe had dispersed after a protest walking on Lasterria as we were looking for a place to have dinner, some chanting and/or beating on items to make noise. But they were strung out in small groups, some families with small children, peaceful and not threatening. On Saturday morning we took a walking tour with Strawberry Tours (free - pay at your discretion) of the Central Market area - excellent! Have to say that we would not have done this on our own as the traffic and the amount of people on the street and in the markets was crazy! A tour guide was essential and ours was great. If you go, don't be fooled by what is called Central Market. That is just one small section of the markets and not very busy. Our tour started and ended at that location. The "real" markets are across the street where the majority of the Santiago people shop. We also saw and heard some more people that might have been "protesting" - more chanting and making noise. We walked to Plaza Italia on Sunday afternoon. There apparently was a small “protest” going on as we did see water cannons being shot at people, but we were still several blocks away and couldn’t really tell what was happening. By the time we walked the last few blocks, it had calmed down. Quite a few people around, but again very peaceful. It was interesting to see quite a few vendors with small carts hawking drinks and food - not missing a chance to make money!  We are so glad that we did not cancel our plans to spend some time in Santiago. Although we were ready to get home and back to normalcy (16 day cruise), we could have used another couple of days to explore more of the city. Our hotel arranged our transfer to the airport Sunday early evening for our midnight flight to LAX. (17000 Chilian pesos - about $21 conversion rate at that time).

 

Santiago is having more than their share of problems right now, but like any big city, you need to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Many of the bad experiences being reported could happen anywhere. JMHO.  Safe travels everyone.

Totally agree!   We were in Santiago Dec 13-18, staying at Doubletree Vitacura.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Strawberry Walking tours of both the Market and the Historical Santiago (on different days).  The Market on Saturday is amazing!   Many of the Metro stations were closed due to the burnings, fires, and protests, but we did not feel too unsafe during the morning and early afternoon hours.  We had a great time as well after the Strawberry Historical tour, by walking through Bella Vista neighborhood over to the Funicular in Cerro San Cristobal and taking the funicular up the hill and then the cable car one way (to the east), and finally just walking down to the Vitacura area.  An amazing adventure!

Stay safe!

[TeeRick]

We were told in our hotel that the protests and demonstrations are now on more of a schedule.  Late Friday afternoons through Friday evenings.  We arrived on a Friday at our hotel (Plaza San Francisco)and sure enough there were protests that evening only a few blocks away.  Hotel was very nice but too close to the protest area.  They locked the doors at 9PM.

[Heartfelttraveler]

Has anyone recently stayed in the Las Condes area?  Any demonstrations going on there?

[roscoe39]

Hi TeeRick, thanks for your post, I'm booked there at the end of February so interested in updated reports about the riots around the hotel. Did you find the area around the hotel safe and that there was plenty to do within walking distance? also interested if you found any good restaurants around within an easy distance...thanks..hope you had a great cruise...Roscoe