We are pleased that you will be joining us in Santiago, Chile for the International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing World. It will be an exciting conference held in the beautiful city of Santiago!
Below is information to help make your trip as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
VISA REQUIREMENTS
Please see https://visaguide.world/south-america/chile-visa/do-i-need-visa/ to determine if you need a VISA to travel to Chile.
If you are required to obtain a visa, please go to https://tramites.minrel.gov.cl/Solicitudes/visa.aspx to apply for the appropriate Visa for your travel to Chile.
AT THE AIRPORT and ARRIVAL FORMALITIES
Please book your travel to Santiago Airport (SCL) in Chile.
COVID Entry Requirements: To prepare to enter Chile with respect to COVID, please see: https://www.chile.travel/en/traveltochileplan/
International Police
Passengers must submit their travel documents, i.e. passport or identity card, and the duly stamped visa as necessary at International Police every time they fly into the country.
International tourists are required to fill out a Tourist Card and hand the Card when leaving the country. PLEASE keep your Tourist Card in a safe place throughout your stay.
Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) Affidavit
Every person over 18 years of age who enters Chile through Santiago Airport (SCL), must fill out the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) Affidavit and indicate whether he or she is carrying vegetable and/or animal products in order to avoid the entry of pests and diseases that could harm agriculture
To avoid physical contact, the SAG has provided a Digital Affidavit available to passengers at sagingresoachile.cl or by a QR code available at the airport.
Schedule your entry to Chile: declare before starting your trip or when entering the country through your mobile device.
For more information visit:
https://www.nuevopudahuel.cl/node/78?language=en
https://www.nuevopudahuel.cl/atairport?language=en
TRANSFERS
For airport-hotel-airport transfers please use the official services with a counter inside the airport which you can be familiar with in the airport's site (PLEASE DO NOT USE UNOFFICIAL TAXIS).
https://www.nuevopudahuel.cl/official-transportation?language=en
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
To move around the city we recommend you use APPs like Uber and Cabify. The underground Metro is also close to the venue hotel. In order to take it, you must buy a card (CLP 1.550) and each trip costs around CLP 700. You can get the card at any Metro Station.
EXCHANGE RATE
Our currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP) approximately 1 USD = 900 CLP. You can easily find ATMs and you can pay by credit card almost everywhere.
Money exchange offices are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Banks are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
ELECTRONIC CONNECTIONS
The voltage in Chile is 220V. Sockets require plugs with three round pins in a line (with the middle one being an earth); two-pronged European style plugs can also be used. We recommend that you pack a universal travel adapter that will allow you to use a hairdryer, electric shaver, charge a mobile phone or other electrical items. You will also need a voltage converter if you are using appliances from the US.
WEATHER
To learn about Santiago’s weather in March please go to:
https://weather.com/es-CL/tiempo/hoy/l/CIXX0020:1:CI
ACTIVITIES AROUND SANTIAGO
Visiting a vineyard and wine tasting Concha y Toro – Santa Rita
Visiting vineyards and tasting some Chilean wine is a must if you are around and have the time!
https://turistik.com/producto/vinas-concha-y-toro-santa-rita-ruta-del-vino/
Full day trip to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso
120 km away from Santiago by the coast are two of the most famous and important cities in Chile: Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. You can explore the main spots of both cities in a day.
https://www.turistik.com/productos/valparaiso-vina-del-mar/
Museums
Museum of Memory and Human Rights
This Chilean museum commemorates the victims of human rights violations during the civic-military regime led by Augusto Pinochet between 1973 and 1990.
https://web.museodelamemoria.cl/english-version/#
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art is an art museum dedicated to the study and display of pre-Columbian artwork and artifacts from Central and South America. The museum is located in the city center of Santiago.
http://www.precolombino.cl/en/
La Chascona Museum
The home of the most outstanding Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, is located in barrio Bellavista in Santiago. https://fundacionneruda.org
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Cultural Centre La Moneda
The Cultural Centre is Chile’s most visited exhibition centre and is located in the civic centre of Santiago. The Cultural Centre hosts exhibitions, programs and events of cultural and artistic interest. The Centre seeks to provide a relevant cultural experience, enhancing its visits with guided tours and activities for a wide range of audiences.
Santiago City Tours
Enjoy an overview of some of the most interesting places in this great city. The journey offers you guided visits to assorted points of interest, from the ancient suburbs to the latest buildings and facilities, going through exciting sceneries of the capital of Chile.
Parque Araucano
This park is ideal for strolling on summer evenings and weekends. Inside the park there are interesting aviaries, picnic areas and multi-courts. Its illuminated paths are perfect for running and exercise. It was created in 1983 as a green lung for the newly urbanized areas of Las Condes.
https://www.santiagoregion.com/es/ver/3/469/parque-araucano
Sky Costanera
The Sky Costanera is the highest observatory in Latin America at a height of 300 meters. Sky Costanera has the most impressive 360° view of Santiago. See the city from a different perspective. Sky Costanera is open every day—365 days a year. With our elevators in just 2 minutes you will be at the highest point in South America.
http://www.skycostanera.cl/en/start/
MALLS & SHOPPING
Parque Arauco
Santiago’s Parque Arauco mall is huge. Set on two levels, there are more than 20 restaurants, and you’ll see global brands like Starbucks, Nine West, and the Gap dotted along its two floors. There’s also a luxury stores district where you can shop at the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Mont Blanc, and Emporio Armani, and there’s an entertainment zone that includes a cinema with 3D, 4D, and premium screens, an ice-rink, a bowling alley, and Mori Cultural Center and Theater. Parque Arauco is also home to an outdoor boulevard with restaurants and stores. After 9pm in the evening live music performances often take place outdoors. Other notable spots include Chilean department store giants like Falabella, Ripley, and Almacenes Paris, and Tottus supermarket.
Casa Costanera
The CASACOSTANERA shopping and entertainment mall is a meeting point located in the exclusive Vitacura neighborhood. Its semi open-air structure is home to over 80 different goods and services brands in categories including fashion, decoration, beauty, sporting goods and toy-stores. Restaurants and coffee-shops offer everything from delicious breakfasts to gourmet dining experiences. Premium cinema theaters, a wide range of activities and entertainment for all ages, and a Tourist Card offering significant benefits and discounts for foreign visitors complete the CASACOSTANERA proposal for tourists seeking an agreeable place for their vacation purchases, as well as for the residents of one of the most welcoming neighborhoods of Santiago.
LOCAL TOURISM
If you would like to get more touristic information or domestic flights, you can contact our Cocha Travel Agent, Claudia Fossa, who will help us during this event: [email protected]
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