Santiago is ringed by the Andés but as a result is also situated in the middle of a number of hills. A city with hills doesn't sound all that exciting but they're isolated from the rest of the valley plain that Santiago sits in. This arrangement gives them the roles of cell tower and religious monument bases, as well as permanent oases for the city's residents. In the last two weeks, Caitlin and I have visited both of them. Cerro San Cristobal has a HUGE statue of the virgin mary on top and Cerro Santa Lucia sports a more secular approach with Greek gods and Spanish conquistadors. San Cristobal is known for it's hiking, inclined cable car, zoo, and the requisite ice cream that you'd expect at the end of a long walk up a hill. Both provide a great view of the city though and are a nice way to 'get away' without putting in too much time.
