Santiago Shopping and Food Tour (Self Guided), Santiago

Santiago is a busy, walkable city, with a fairly compact downtown bursting with exciting places to dine and shop. In recent years, Chile's affluence has prompted many international retailers to open their stores in the country's capital. Here you can shop practically for everything: from food to clothing to gifts and beyond, much as your bank account allows you.

The pedestrian zones in downtown Santiago are full of life and replete with stores and street vendors suiting for both, those keen on fancy shopping in air-conditioned malls and those in favor of open-air markets (called mercado or feria).

There are several main thoroughfares in the center of Santiago, including Calle Huérfanos – running west down from Cerro Santa Lucía, and Paseo Ahumada – stretching north from the Alameda towards the Mapocho River and Mercado Central.

Paseo Ahumada is a four-block street visited yearly by over 2 million people. Families and individuals, locals and tourists are drawn here by the abundance of street vendors and performers, numerous boutiques and department stores, fast food outlets, ice cream parlors, cafés and more.

Mercado Central – Santiago's Central Market – is a bustling fish market whose wrought-iron structure was shipped from England in the 19th century, and whose restaurants now are a major attraction.

Another key local market – Feria Santa Lucia – is dedicated to handicrafts. Here you will find a whole world of cheap and fun little trinkets; a cool place to walk around searching for indigenous and locally made souvenirs.

To explore these and other major shopping and dining spots in downtown Santiago and to catch the best bargains, follow this self-guided walking tour.