invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Cerro San Cristobal

Viewpoints ·Santiago ·Closed
4.518.7K
#2Viewpoints in ChileTravelers' Choice Best of the Best 2026
Make a plan here
Directions Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

About

Cerro San Cristobal, a viewpoint on an 880 m hill in Santiago's Bellavista quarter, topped by a Virgin Mary statue.

More photos 10

1 / 10
Cerro San Cristobal

Cerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San CristobalCerro San Cristobal

Why go

  • The Virgin Mary statue, 14 m tall on an 8.3 m pedestal, lit from its sides at night so it can be seen across the city.
  • The small chapel inside the statue's pedestal, where Pope John Paul II prayed and blessed the city.
  • The Santiago Metropolitan Park, the city's largest public park, which the hill houses.

Opening hours

TodayClosedShow all
Monday00:00 – 00:15
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday09:00 – 17:00, 18:00 – 21:00, 22:00 – 01:00
ThursdayClosed
FridayClosed
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

What you see

  • Views from the summit cover the city's districts and, on clear days, the mountain chain to the east.
  • The hill is the capital's home hill and dominates the city's skyline.
  • The summit also holds a church.

Best time to visit

  • Come on a clear day to see the mountain chain to the east from the summit.

Photo spots

  • The city and the eastern mountainsFace the city below and the mountain range to the east, which shows only on clear days.SummitDaylight on a clear day On the map

Facilities

  • Municipal swimming pools Tupahue and Antilén, both on the hill.
  • Zoo and Japanese-style garden The Chilean National Zoo and a Japanese-style garden lie at the foot of the hill.

Shorts

History

The hill was called Tupahue, a Quechua word meaning guard. Pedro de Valdivia renamed it after Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers. Today it is also known as Chacarillas. The hill's use began with an observatory, the Mills Observatory, now called the Manuel Foster Observatory. A statue of the Virgin Mary and a zoo at the foot of the hill came later.

  1. 18th centuryThe current name is first recorded in writing.
  2. 1903The Mills Observatory, now the Manuel Foster Observatory, was installed on the hill.
  3. 1908A statue has overlooked the hill since 1908.
  4. 1920sA zoo has been on the hill since the 1920s.
  5. 1980–2009The cable car ran from the Pedro de Valdivia entrance until a gearbox failure left it unusable.
Show all
  1. 1987Pope John Paul II held a mass on the summit.
  2. 2016The cable car reopened in November 2016.

How to get there

  • 45 minOn footOn foot, the summit takes about 45 minutes, with a 300 m climb.
  • BikeCyclists can ride up to the summit.
  • CarCars can drive up a toll road that joins the Santiago Metropolitan Park.
  • On footThe Children's Park gives access to the hill from Avenida Perú.
  • Cable carThe Funicular de Santiago climbs from a base beside the zoo at Pío Nono.
  • Cable carThe Teleférico starts from the Oasis station on the northeast side of the hill.
  • Cable carThe Teleférico Pío Nono, a second gondola on the south slope, opened in 2026.

Accessibility

  • Wheelchairs on the cable car Eight of the network's 46 cabins can carry wheelchairs, strollers or bicycles; each cabin holds six people.

Sources: San Cristóbal Hill - Wikipedia · Cerro San Cristóbal (Santiago de Chile) - Wikip… · Colline San Cristóbal - Wikipedia · checked 17 Oct 2026

Where
Pio Nono 445, Recoleta Parque Metropolitano de Santiago, Santiago

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

How long does the walk up Cerro San Cristobal take?

The walk to the summit takes about 45 minutes and includes a 300 m climb.

How do I get to the top of Cerro San Cristobal by cable car?

The Teleférico starts from the Oasis station on the northeast side. The Funicular de Santiago climbs from its base beside the zoo at Pío Nono.

Can I drive up Cerro San Cristobal?

Yes. Cars can use a toll road that joins the Santiago Metropolitan Park. Cyclists can ride up to the summit too.

Can a wheelchair go up Cerro San Cristobal by cable car?

Eight of the network's 46 cabins can carry wheelchairs, strollers or bicycles. Each cabin holds six people.

Is Cerro San Cristobal good for children?

The Children's Park gives walking access to the hill from Avenida Perú. The Chilean National Zoo and a Japanese-style garden lie at the foot of the hill.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…