República Neighborhood Guide — Santiago, Chile

This post might contain affiliate links. That means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, if you buy through my site. I appreciate your support of my site.

Booking.com

One of the hardest parts of visiting a new city is deciding where to stay. You want to pick somewhere that is close to all the things you want to do and the main sights of the city. Looking for a safe area is usually one of the top factors. In addition the amenities and the price usually seal the deal. Knowing all this information, much less finding somewhere that meets all your criteria can be hard. When I was looking for an AirBnB for an extended stay in Santiago, Chile during the peak season I know I struggled.

There is a lot of information about centrally located neighborhoods in Santiago such as Bellas Artes and Lastarria, as well as recommended expat districts like Las Condes and Vitacura. The lack of affordable options during my last minute search lead me to look at other areas.

My search took me to a really nice looking apartment near Toesca, a metro station on the yellow #2 line of the Santiago metro system in Barrio República. Even though I found very little about this neighborhood before I arrived,  I was really happy that I spent five weeks in Santiago living in this area. This República neighborhood guide not only gives you practical information about staying in this neighborhood, but also the surrounding neighborhoods. Look into this neighborhood if you are planning a longer visit to Santiago!

If you prefer other neighborhoods in Santiago, check out my Where to Stay in Santiago post which gives accommodation recommendations by neighborhood.

República Neighborhood

The neighborhood is full of families and university students. Despite seeing a lot of universities and students, most of the residents in my apartment building seemed to be families. You won’t see a lot of tourists in this area. Therefore, restaurant prices are pretty cheap and you will feel like a local walking through the streets.

Location

The República neighborhood is located southwest of the center of Santiago. It is bordered by Barrio Yungay to the north, San Alfonso to the east, Parque Almagro to the west and Parque O’Higgins to the south. Most of the places in this post are in Barrio República and Parque Almagro.

Parque Almagro is not known for being the most beautiful neighborhood, so try to stay in the Barrio República side if possible. That being said don’t be completely turned off from the run down, abandoned, graffiti covered buildings.  The people and the places I went in this area (gym, grocery stores, park) didn’t match the feel of the neighborhood at all.

Safety

Despite the grimy look, I always felt safe in Parque Almagro, as well as Barrio República. I avoided doing too much walking around at night, but did make several trips from the Toesca metro to my apartment. There was always a good number of people getting off at that stop so walking alone at night wasn’t a problem.

Transport

The Toesca metro station is between Barrio República and Parque Almagro. You can take the yellow #2 line to Los Héroes and Santa Ana to transfer to the red and green lines, respectively. To reach Plaza Armas in the center it takes about 30 minutes to walk or 15 minutes by metro from the Toesca station.

What to Do

There is some interesting architecture here and a couple of museums on the República side of Toesca.

One of the nicest things to do is visit Parque O’Higgins. It is a large park about 10 minute walk from the Toesca stop, or directly accessible from the Parque O’Higgins metro stop. The park has an amusement park, swimming pool, gardens, small vehicles to rent, food vendors and more. If you go on a Sunday you will see many Chilean families spending the day together outside.

Parque Almagro in the neighborhood of the same name, is a much smaller park, but nice if you enjoy sitting or walking through parks.

If you need or want to do some shopping you will find a large variety of cheap speciality stores along Av Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins and in San Alfonso. This is also where you can find banks. Be aware that most banks are closed on Saturday and Sundays. During the week they are only open until 2pm!

Overall I recommend the neighborhood more for living than sights to see.

Gyms

Be careful seeing a monthly price and thinking it is for one month. It is usually the monthly price if you buy for a year. An extra charge for an enrollment fee is usually added on as well. If you are staying in Santiago for multiple months, you will get better deals at the gyms. I found the gym memberships in Santiago to be quite pricey for what you are getting though. Also the gyms below are all closed on Sunday and close early on Saturdays. 

Pacific Gym Lord Cochrane

Lord Cochrane 568, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile

Pacific Gym is a large chain of gyms in Santiago. The closest location is in Parque Almagro on Lord Cochrane, funny street name right? It’s a three story gym with cardiovascular machines on the first floor. Weight lifting machines and free weights take up the second floor. The top floor has a large space for group classes and bikes on one side for spin classes. You can use this area when classes are not taking place. Three floors makes the gym sound large, but it isn’t. There is only one set of dumbbells and not a big space to use them. I can imagine if you go at peak times it would be very crowded.

A one month membership at Pacific Gym will set you back about 62.000 CLP (~$93 USD). You can get day passes for 5.000 CLP (~7.50 USD). Other than the dumbbells and some mats there isn’t any other equipment. There are mostly men working out there, but I didn’t find it too intimidating and everyone is nice about sharing weights. I don’t have any major complaints, but I didn’t think the one month price was worth it, so I went occasionally and just got day passes. The guys that work the front desk are really friendly and helpful too.

Aqua Tiempo

Av. Ejército Libertador 346, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile

I never went inside of Aqua Tiempo, but it sounds like a larger gym with a few more amenities. Of course that comes with a bigger price tag as well. They have various types of monthly plans, swimming class packs and a day pass to the gym and pool for 12.000 CLP (~$18 USD).

Entretiempo

Av. Ejército Libertador 341, Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile

Entretiempo is another gym that I only looked inside of, but didn’t use. It’s located across the street from Aqua Tiempo. With the enrollment charge this gym is 57.000 CLP (~$85 USD) a month.

Grocery Stores

One thing this area has going for it, is grocery stores. When living abroad I miss having supermarkets, at least handy in my neighborhood. I have had the most luck with selection at grocery stores here in Santiago. Hours vary, but most of the stores below are open everyday from around 8:30am – 10pm. While I prefer the selection at the larger stores and knowing I can use my credit card, there are numerous little markets around the area too. Make sure to bring a reusable bag with you or you will need to buy one at the store. The stores often are out of bags, so if you need one make sure they have one before you go to all the trouble of picking out your food

Tottus Nataniel

Nataniel Cox 620, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Tottus is gigantic. They have a large selection of produce, a deli with pre-made food, a bakery and rows of packaged foods and drinks. In addition to the edible items they also sell personal care items, clothing, some electronics and office supplies.

Express de Lider Diez de Julio

Av. 10 de Julio Huamachuco 1625, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Express de Lider is another big store with a great produce selection. There are some personal care items here, but not all the other non-food items that Tottus sells. Whenever I needed an ATM in Santiago I used the ones here.

Santa Isabel Santiago Centro

Almirante Latorre 310, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Santa Isabel is probably the smallest of the three stores listed so far. It has the smallest produce section as well. What I liked most about this store is the little international section. This is where you can find peanut butter, Heinz ketchup and apple sauce….those hard to find American staples! There is also a food court and bowling alley on the 2nd floor. On the side streets around this store you will find several places to buy a cheap lunch, typically completos and italianos (varieties of Chilean hotdogs).

Ok Market

Toesca 1844, Santiago, Región Metropolitana

Ok Market is a convenience store, not a supermarket. It can be found all around Santiago. This location is handy to the metro and the apartment I recommend below. The prices are a bit higher than the supermarkets, but it has the staples in case you need something quick.

Where to Stay

The apartment I stayed at was perfect for my extended stay. I rarely ever heard my neighbors, yet any interaction in communal spaces was friendly. The host, Carolina, provides most things you would need for a long stay. I found the apartment to be clean, cozy and modern.

Within the building I had access to the communal spaces. This included my favorite, the outdoor pool! Take note of the hours and that it is closed on Mondays, like many things in Santiago. There are also washers and dryers in the building that cost 1200 CLP each. The gym is pretty small, with only a couple of machines. For all of these you need to go to the front desk and ask for the key.

Hopefully this República Neighborhood Guide gives you an idea of what the neighborhood is like and what is around the area. Let me know in the comments below if you end up planning an extended stay in Santiago! 

More About Chile

• Santiago: What to Do in Santiago, Museo Histórico Nacional review, Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos review
• Chiloé Island: How to get to the island, how to get around, where to stay, what to do and more.
• Puerto Varas: Rafting & Kayaking
• Pucón: Day tours from Pucón
• Central Chile 3 Week Itinerary including Santiago and the Chilean Lakes District

---

Pin It!!