Things to see in Santiago

Until recently, this has been one of Santiago's hidden treasures, but it is now growing in popularity. This is no ordinary burial ground, more a mini-metropolis of extraordinary tombs. Some are extravagant, some are beautiful, almost all are striking in one way or another. It's also of great historical interest - several leading politicians are buried here, including Salvador Allende, and there is a memorial to all those who disappeared during the Pinochet years.

A wrought-iron structure (shipped out piece by piece from England in the 19th century) is home to Santiago's Central Market, on the south bank of the Rio Mapocho. With a bustling fish market on the outside, it is the restaurants within that have become the real attraction. Some of the central options under the high ceiling are a bit of a tourist trap - but many visitors don't mind paying for the memorable atmosphere.

If you only have time to visit one museum in Santiago, make sure this is the one. The Museum of Pre-Colombian Art houses a world-class collection of artefacts from Latin America's pre-Hispanic civilisations. Located in a handsome colonial building, the Palacio de la Real Aduana (Royal Customs House), it exhibits intricately crafted artwork in ceramics, metals, textiles and wood. Tastefully presented and meticulously cared for, the items on show give a unique insight into the lost cultures of the Maya, Aztecs, Incas and other groups which once dominated this vast continent.

The colonial Palacio de la Real Audiencia houses the absorbing Museo Histórico Nacional, which has a fine series of chronological exhibits on Chile's development from the colonial period through to independence and the modern era, ending abruptly with the military coup in 1973. There is a small exhibit on Chile's indigenous culture.

Once the official mint, la Moneda became the presidential residence in 1846. While Chile's head of state no longer lives on site, the building's presidential offices are still used. The bombing of Moneda Palace by air force jets during General Augusto Pinochet's coup against Salvador Allende's Marxist government in 1973 remains an enduring image of the 20th century. Allende took his own life in this building with a gun given to him, according to local legend, by Fidel Castro. Visitors can stroll along the courtyard that runs through the middle of the building, and can arrange to visit the interior with an advance booking. On the south side of the Moneda Palace, on (or rather under) Plaza de la Ciudadanía, is the modern Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda, which has a series of exhibition spaces and some first-rate exhibitions. There is also an excellent shop selling traditional Chilean handicrafts.

Santiago has four large, attractive parks that offer spectacular views of the Andes as well as welcome respite from the city's traffic. The landscaped hill, Cerro Santa Lucía, to the east of the downtown area, was where the city was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in 1541. The original settlers were also besieged here by indigenous warriors shortly after the city's founding. Beautifully landscaped (the park was transformed by 19th-century Santiago mayor, Benjamin Vicuña Mackenna), it is popular among courting couples by day. From its summit there are uninterrupted views of the Andes, while the tree-lined avenues around its slopes are perfect for a stroll.

Parque Metropolitano de Santiago contains Cerro San Cristobál - a pine-forested spur of the Andes and Santiago's largest open space. At its summit, a 14m- (46ft-) high white statue of the Virgin Mary dominates the horizon. Pope John Paul II held mass here in 1987 to celebrate his only visit to Chile (much criticised because of the Pinochet regime's human rights record). Its forested slopes are crisscrossed by hiking trails, and facilities include a public barbecue area, two outdoor swimming pools and a modest zoo. The most convenient way to reach the summit is by the funicular railway that leaves from the terminal on Calle Pío Nono in the Bellavista area. For superlative views, there is also a cable car (teleférico) that runs from near the top of the funicular to Pedro de Valdivia Norte in Providencia and back. Roads lead up the hill from Pedro de Valdivia Norte, Pío Nono or La Pirámide.

In the 19th and early-20th centuries, Santiago's beautiful people would come to Parque Quinta Normal for a promenade. The area was in decline, but there has been a recent injection of cash and popularity after a Metro station opened in 2004 just next door. The park retains a peaceful Mediterranean feel and is a good place to take a stroll while waiting for a train at the nearby Estación Central. The park also provides the setting for some rather neglected attractions, including four museums, all of which have seen better days. The best of the bunch is the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (National Museum of Natural History), where an extensive but dusty collection of fossils, flora and fauna, mostly gathered within Chile's borders, is housed in an impressive neoclassical building.

Parque O'Higgins, also a one-time preserve of Santiago's elite, nowadays attracts visitors of more modest means. Within its confines are an amusement park and the Museo del Huaso (currently closed - it is uncertain when or if the museum will reopen). A huaso is a Chilean cowboy, rather like the Argentinean gaucho, and this museum is dedicated to Chile's rural communities.