Last day in Santiago. One more walk through the city before the next leg of the trip.
A Chilean lunch — Palta Reina
One of the things I'd wanted to eat in Chile was Palta Reina — literally "queen avocado." A hollowed-out avocado stuffed with chicken or tuna salad, a Chilean home-cooking staple.
An avocado generously filled with chicken salad, white rice, sautéed zucchini and carrots, sliced tomato — together it's a complete almuerzo (set lunch). The avocado was big and creamy, and paired well with the chicken salad. Chile is also an avocado-producing country, so they're cheap even at supermarkets.
Chilean food on the whole is simple and not heavy. Mild flavors, easy to eat, the kind of food you could eat every day.
Christmas already, in October
In the afternoon, a stop at a shopping mall. The surprise: the Christmas decorations were already up. Chile is in the southern hemisphere, so October is spring — and even so, the seasonal decorations were already starting.
The mall layout is similar to malls in Japan: food court, apparel, cafés. Chilean youth fashion and the way people pass the time felt closer to Japan than I'd expected. Just because it's South America doesn't mean everything is different.
Santiago turned out to be a better city than I'd expected before coming. Architecture, food, people, and the dry blue sky. I'd come back if I had the chance.
Travel guide (general info)
※ This section combines public information with the author's notes; please confirm the latest entry, safety, and operating details on the official sites.
Palta reina and Chilean food culture
- Palta reina is a home-style dish: a halved avocado (palta) stuffed with chicken or tuna salad. It's a classic option on the "almuerzo" (set lunch) at neighbourhood diners.
- Chile is one of the world's leading avocado producers — third after Mexico and Peru — with Hass dominating year-round.
- In Santiago, weekday set lunches typically run CLP 6,000–10,000 at modest restaurants where solo travellers can comfortably drop in.
Christmas and year-end shopping in the southern hemisphere
- December is high summer here — Christmas comes with daytime highs of 25–30 °C.
- Shopping malls start their decorations as early as late October; mid-December onward sees full-on sales (Cyber Monday, Navidad).
- Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) is a family gathering. Shops close early, so do supermarket runs in the morning to be safe.
Pre-departure checklist for Santiago
- For SCL (Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport), official taxis or the airport buses (Centropuerto / Tur Bus) are convenient.
- Lapis lazuli and copper items are fine in carry-on. Wine: 1 bottle in the cabin, more goes in checked baggage.
- Foreign tourists paying in USD at hotels are exempt from VAT (IVA, 19%) on lodging — show your passport at check-out.
References
All your Chile travel info in one place — a guidebook makes it easier to choose where to eat and to plan the move to your next city.
