BudgetTravel

Vi a del Mar is loaded with residenciales, particularly east of the city center along Alvarez and Agua Santa streets, so be choosy. Residencial La Nona (Calle Agua Santa, 48; 32/663-825) has eclectic decor and some tightly squeezed rooms, but it does have rooms with a private bath for about $11.30. For a shared bath, the cost drops to $9.40. Residencial Agua Santa (Calle Agua Santa, 36; 32/901-351) also has rooms for $9.40, but the rambling, bright blue Victorian building is a little rougher around the edges. An interesting choice is Residencial Victoria (Calle Valpara­so, 40; 32/977-370), which features Spanish architecture, a Virgin Mary statue above the front door, and bigger rooms for $13.15.

For midrange travelers who prefer more conventional hotels, rooms in such establishments begin at around $22 for a single, $27 for a double. They offer what an American might expect from a hotel back home: a television, a telephone, a desk and chairs, a bathroom with shower. A fun choice in Santiago is the Hotel Paris (Calle Paris, 813; 2/639-4037) in the University of Chile neighborhood. Tucked away on a brick street and featuring arched doorways, marble staircases, and a French-style cafe with a hanging garden, it costs $26 for a single, $30 for a double with one large bed. The agreeable Hotel Riviera (Calle Miraflores, 106; 2/633-1176) charges $41 to $48 for the same type of room without the Parisian flavor. Another option is the Hotel Santa Lucia (Calle Huerfanos, 779, fourth floor; 2/639-8201), which throws in a refrigerator for the rate of $33 to $40.

In Vi a del Mar, the plethora of conventional hotel rooms includes crisp and clean Hotel Balia (Calle Von Schroeders, 36; 32/978-310), with fine TV-equipped rooms for $25 single, $35 double. Hotel Alcantara (Calle Viana, 575; tel. and fax 32/711-196) offers similar accommodations for $24.60 single, $30 double. Rooms are quite a bit more expensive ($108 for a single, $120 double) at the Hotel Cap Ducal (Avenida Marina, 51; 32/626-655), but it might be the most unique hotel in all of Chile; it's set inside an old ship resting above Vina's crashing waves. Even if you don't stay here, it's at least worth a visit to the bar to watch the surf come in below.

!Buen provecho! (bon appetit)

The food in Chile mirrors the landscape. With its wealth of wandering coastline, it's no surprise that seafood abounds. But the country's fertile central valley also produces a bounty of fresh produce, and Chileans love bread and pastry. Lunch generally takes place between noon and 2 p.m., during the siesta when many businesses close and people go home to eat with their families. Dinner's quite late - usually around 9 p.m. - but restaurants are open for dinner by 6 p.m. if you can't wait.

The dining choices are truly formidable in Santiago, ranging from hot dogs to refined sit-down dinners featuring all manner of local and international flavors. For seafood lovers, a pilgrimage to the Mercado Central on San Pablo, across from Cerro Santa Lucia park, is a must. Here, tasty seafood restaurants nestle between colorful stalls selling just about anything with gills, fins, or shells - and it's straight from the water. At Marisqueria (2/698-6291) in the Mercado Central, a delicious plate of fried fish with tomatoes and onions (pescado frito a la chilena) sells for $3; the fish is so fresh, the tail is still on. For the same price you can get the mariscada especial, an exotic blend of fresh mussels, shrimp, and other shellfish, and wash it down with a half-bottle of excellent local Tres Medallas red wine for $3.20.

Another lunch choice is the Bar Nacional, at Calle Bandera, 317 in the city center (2/695-3368), where the decor is retro-America 1950s and the national specialty pastel de choclo-a hearty casserole of corn, chicken, beef, olives, and onions-sells for about $5.50. For a typical Chilean meal of lomo a la pobre (a huge slab of steak topped with fried eggs and french fries), try Eladio, located at Avenida Ossa, 2234 in the Providencia neighborhood (2/277-0661); enormous portions cost about $7. El Chancho con Chaleco ("Pig In a Jacket") at Avenida Los Pajaritos, 99 (2/557-6152) is also enormously popular and specializes in beef and chicken dishes for about $6 to $7.

Eats are wonderful and affordable in Vi a del Mar, too. Try a bowl of paella (shellfish, sausage, chicken, and pork on a bed of rice) for $2.82 or the pastel de choclo for $2.35 at Autoservicier Santander at the corner of Quinta and Arlegui. Or choose from a vast selection of empanadas and mini-pizzas for less than $1 at Panaderia Suiza (Calle Arlegui, 402) and go sit among the palm trees on Plaza Vergara to watch the crowds while you eat.

The best edible bargain in Chile is the ubiquitous empanada, which costs less than $1 and is advertised in restaurant windows and sold on sidewalks everywhere. They usually have a hearty filling of beef, onions, hard-boiled egg, and olives, though apple filling is also popular. Also look for $1.35 humitas, a delicious paste of grated corn, fried onions, and basil sold by women in little stands on Santiago's busy streets, especially along the Alameda (the nickname for Avenida del Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins, a major city artery). As everywhere, fast food has also made local inroads. A completo - a hot dog with every imaginable condiment - generally sells for around $1.50 and is also listed on signs outside fast-food-type restaurants.

Finally, a visit to Chile isn't complete without a pisco sour, a margarita-type drink made with a popular grape brandy. They are sold in nearly every restaurant and generally cost about $1.75.

Surf, ski, and see

One of the first places to check out in Santiago is Cerro San Cristobal, a 2,800-foot cliff that looms over downtown and is topped by a 115-foot white statue of the Virgin Mary. There's a challenging hike to the statue if you're trying to work off cobwebs from flying, and there's a teleferico (cable car) to carry you to the top for $4.50. Go around 8 p.m. in the summertime for a stunning panorama of city and sunset. Also worth exploring: the labyrinthine Cerro Santa Lucia, with a massive fountain and trails that lead to far-reaching views of the city and the Andes beyond.