I went to Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos — the Los Dominicos Crafts Market in Santiago's Las Condes district. It's one of Chile's signature crafts markets, with work by local artisans on display, and it's loved by visitors and locals alike.
Los Dominicos Crafts Market
Once you step in, the wooden stalls line a series of paths filled with crafts: lapis lazuli jewelry, copper work, ceramics, textiles, leather goods... a concentrated slice of Chilean artisan culture. Most stalls sell at fixed prices — no haggling required.
Lapis lazuli is one of Chile's signature stones — most of the world's supply is said to come from here. Pieces using the deep-blue stone are everywhere in the market and remain a popular souvenir.
Capilla de Los Dominicos
Right next to the market stands a beautiful church with white walls and green copper domes — the Capilla de Los Dominicos. An 18th-century colonial-era chapel, still used as an active church today.
White walls, two towers topped with green-patinaed copper domes, a stone-paved plaza — every angle is photogenic. The unique thing about this place is that the crafts market and the church sit right next to each other; religion and craft coexisting in everyday life felt very Chilean.
I bought a single piece of lapis lazuli jewelry at the market, as a small memento of having made it to Chile.