Rio Mapocho

The Rio Mapocho

The Santiago audio-guided tour has you cross the Rio Mapocho by the Pío Nono bridge, towards the Bellavista district. The river, which crosses the whole city, has shaped the history and the geography of the capital.

A river come from the Andes

The Mapocho rises in the Andes before flowing into the Maipo river, which reaches the Pacific Ocean towards Valparaiso. At the time when the region belonged to the immense Inca Empire, the Incas of Collasuyo, its most southern part, had created a complex network of irrigation canals from the Mapocho; some still function. Behind the bridge, the Plaza Baquedano, which the inhabitants still call Plaza Italia, is considered the symbolic border between the upper and lower districts of the city, and remains a great gathering place.

What there is to see

The Pío Nono bridge links the centre to the bohemian district of Bellavista, offering a fine perspective over the river and the city. On the other bank, one notably glimpses the building of the law faculty, from which many presidents and personalities of the country have come. To cross the Mapocho is to pass from one Santiago to another, and to discover the lively atmosphere of the north bank.

Practical information

The Rio Mapocho crosses the centre of Santiago; the Pío Nono bridge links the centre to the Bellavista district. Its banks and its bridges can be walked freely on foot at all hours and on the level, offering fine viewpoints over the city.

Where does the Rio Mapocho rise?

In the Andes mountain range; it then flows into the Maipo river, which reaches the Pacific Ocean towards Valparaiso.

What is the Plaza Italia?

The former name of the Plaza Baquedano, near the Mapocho, considered the symbolic border between the upper and lower districts of Santiago.