Santiago's nightlife is exuberant and welcoming, with less of the pretentiousness often found in more European cities. Venues are generally most busy from Thursday to Saturday, although those after a drink or two on a Monday night will not have to look far for a lively spot.
The nightlife scene is conveniently arranged into several distinct zones and, if you are not sure where to start, the best place is arguably the Barrio Brazil neighborhood. This young district is becoming increasingly popular with locals and is the best spot for people-watching.
The Bellavista area of town contains a large number of friendly bars, cafes and restaurants. After a long day enjoying the sites and attractions of the city, Bellavista is the perfect area to relax with a glass of one of the local wines.
From 11pm, many of the establishments offer live music of varying standards and genres, with boleros and latin guitar music the most common. The gay scene is also based here and visitors will be pleased to learn that attitudes have improved considerably over the past few years.
The Providencia area is less laidback and snazzier than Bellavista, with a North American theme very much in evidence. The bars here are extremely popular with young professionals, tourists and expats, who combine to make the area a lively - if not particularly authentic - sample of Santiago's nightlife.
And then the city's thousands of students can be found in Nunoa. Nightlife in this part of town is very much of the underground and bohemian variety. The welcoming bars and cafes in the main square are generally bursting with students most nights of the week, guaranteeing a pretty wild evening.
It's said that, because Santiago is a place where tourists have to amuse themselves, alcohol consumption among visitors reaches a record high. However, with such quality alcohol, wonderfully low prices and energetic spirit, it's little wonder that travelers find themselves heading for a night out in the city again, and again.
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