Santiago Travel Guide

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is both the heart of Santiago and the historical centre, a square hemmed in by impressive Spanish colonial public buildings, including the 18th-century Cathedral and elaborate main post office that was once the Spanish governors' residence. The square became the hub of administrative, commercial and social life when the city was founded in 1541 and today it remains the centre of life in the city. Never a dull place to be by day with its constant activity and throngs of people entertained by buskers and local artists, the evenings are just as lively when passers-by can become embroiled in chess games on temporary tables set up under the trees.