Bellavista Neighborhood

The Bellavista district

The Santiago audio-guided tour has you discover Bellavista, the bohemian district of the city. After crossing the Patio Bellavista and its numerous shops, one enters streets lined with colourful houses and relaxed terraces.

From la Chimba to the bohemian district

In the colonial era, the area north of the Mapocho was called la Chimba, "on the other side" in the Quechua language. Devoted to agricultural work, it had been peopled since the pre-Hispanic period by indigenous families, Incas and Picunches, the latter having long tried to preserve their traditions in the face of acculturation. Craftsmen, convents and monasteries then settled there, taking advantage of the tranquillity of the place. In the nineteenth century, with the construction of the first bridge, the area was urbanised and became a prized district. Today, taverns, art galleries and souvenir shops enliven Bellavista.

What there is to see

Bellavista charms with its colourful houses, its terraces and its street art. The Pío Nono street is known for its strong concentration of bars, and the district is also the ideal place to find a souvenir in lapis lazuli, that semi-precious stone of deep blue typical of Chile, whose use goes back millennia. It is one of the high places of the nocturnal and creative life of Santiago.

Practical information

The Bellavista district is on the north bank of the Mapocho, at the foot of the Cerro San Cristobal, in Santiago. It can be walked freely on foot at all hours and on the level. Bars, galleries and shops follow their own hours; the atmosphere is particularly lively in the evening.

What does the name la Chimba mean?

"On the other side" in the Quechua language, the former name of the area north of the Mapocho where Bellavista developed.

What is Chilean lapis lazuli?

A semi-precious stone of deep blue, typical of Chile, found as a souvenir in Bellavista and whose use goes back millennia.