Santiago Metropolitan Park

The Santiago Metropolitan Park (Spanish: Parque Metropolitano de Santiago) is a big green space in the city of Santiago, the capital of Chile. It has several hills and areas such as San Cristóbal, Chacarillas, Los Gemelos, Tupahue, Lo Saldés, Pirámide, and Bosque Santiago. The park lies between four parts of the city – Huechuraba, Providencia, Recoleta, and Vitacura – and covers about 722 hectares. This makes it the biggest urban park in the Americas and one of the largest in the world.

Besides the main park area, it also looks after 16 smaller urban parks spread across 13 parts of Santiago, covering nearly 150.1 hectares altogether. Workers keep these parks clean and beautiful by watering plants, planting new trees, fixing equipment, and making sure everything is safe.

The park was started in April 1966, when the Chilean National Zoo and the services at San Cristóbal Hill were included. It is managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. In September 2012, the government began a big plan to improve and grow the park. This plan, lasting until 2016, includes making new walking paths, planting 100,000 extra trees, and expanding the National Zoo.

Origins and history

San Cristóbal Hill began being used in 1903 when the Mills Observatory was built. It is now called the Manuel Foster Observatory. It is a twin of the Lick Observatory of the University of California.

The main symbol on the hill is the Statue of the Virgin Mary on San Cristóbal Hill. It opened to the public on April 26, 1908.

In 1916, Alberto Mackenna Subercaseaux and Pedro Bannen started a plan to turn the hill into a park for everyone. On September 28, 1917, a law was passed letting President Juan Luis Sanfuentes collect donations and buy land between Bosque Santiago and San Cristóbal Hill for the new park.

The leader of Santiago at the time, Pablo Urzúa, took control of the park’s land on June 17, 1918. Later, from 1921 to 1927, under Alberto Mackenna, the hill was made beautiful and ready for people to visit.

Attractions

Pools

The park has two outdoor swimming pools: the Tupahue pool and the Antilén pool. Both open during the summer from November through March.

The Tupahue pool opened in 1966. It is surrounded by trees and has a stone wall made by artists. The pool is 82 meters long and 25 meters wide.

The Antilén pool opened in 1976. It offers a view of the whole city. The pool is 92 meters long and 25 meters wide.

Cable car

The Santiago Cable Car opened in 1980. It takes visitors from the bottom of the hill to the top in 20 minutes. At the top, visitors can explore the Sanctuary on San Cristóbal Hill and ride the Funicular, which goes between Barrio Bellavista and the summit of San Cristóbal Hill.

The Cable Car was closed for some time but reopened in November 2016 after repairs.

Funicular

The Funicular de Santiago, dating back to 1925, is a National Monument. It has two stops: the National Zoo and the summit. The funicular travels almost 500 meters up a steep hill.

National Zoo

The Chilean National Zoo homes thousands of animals from many different species.

Botanical Garden

Main article: Jardín Botánico Chagual

Located in the park, the Botanical Garden features many plants native to Chile. It focuses on protecting and studying these plants.

Sanctuary

Main article: Sanctuary on San Cristóbal Hill

A special place of worship sits atop San Cristóbal Hill. It includes a large statue of the Virgin Mary and honors the Immaculate Conception.

Bicentenary Children's Park

Opened in 2012, this park includes an amphitheater, treehouses, water features, an interactive fence, and a small cable car for children to enjoy.

Torre Antena

There are many radio antennas on a hill in Santiago. Some people think they look ugly. The government of Santiago plans to take down the old antennas and build one big antenna. This new antenna will be a special landmark for the city. In late 2013, the city held a contest to choose the design of the new tower. The winner was announced in February of the next year.