Just off Santiago's hectic main thoroughfare, the thick walls of the Iglesia de San Francisco, with the adjacent Franciscan Monastery, provide a peaceful haven from the downtown traffic. The church was originally built in the late 16th century by Chile's conquistador, Pedro de Valdivia, and it has survived regular earthquakes (although its tower has gone through several incarnations). It is one of Santiago's oldest buildings and the adjacent former monastery houses the Museo Colonial San Francisco (Colonial Museum of St Francis), which contains a collection of ecclesiastical art dating from the colonial era.

Mon-Sat 1100-1300 and 1500-1800, Sun 1000-1300.

No

This museum is closed until late 2013 to undergo an extensive expansion project adding 1,000 square metres of space and increasing the exhibition space by 70 per cent. When it opens again it will improve on its world-class collection of artefacts from Latin America's pre-Hispanic civilisations. Located in a handsome colonial building, the Palacio de la Real Aduana (Royal Customs House), it exhibits intricately crafted artwork in ceramics, metals, textiles and wood. Tastefully presented and meticulously cared for, the items on show give a unique insight into the lost cultures of the Maya, Aztecs, Incas and other groups which once dominated this vast continent.

Tues-Sun 1000-1800.

Yes

Once the official mint, la Moneda became the presidential residence in 1846. While Chile's head of state no longer lives on site, the building's presidential offices are still used. The bombing of Moneda Palace by air force jets during General Augusto Pinochet's coup against Salvador Allende's Marxist government in 1973 remains an enduring image of the 20th century. Allende took his own life in this building with a gun given to him, according to local legend, by Fidel Castro. Visitors can stroll along the courtyard that runs through the middle of the building, and can arrange to visit the interior with an advance booking. On the south side of the Moneda Palace, on (or rather under) Plaza de la Ciudadanía, is the modern Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda, which has a series of exhibition spaces and some first-rate exhibitions. There is also an excellent shop selling traditional Chilean handicrafts.

Tours need to be arranged in advance.

No

Since colonial times, Santiago's focus has been its spacious main square, the Plaza de Armas. Surrounded by grand colonial public buildings, most notably the Metropolitan Cathedral and the ornate Correos Central (central post office), it acts as a haven from Santiago's often oppressive traffic. A central corral of Chilean palm trees shades courting couples, vendors and tourists. Local artists display their latest canvasses and on weekday evenings the square is the scene of a thriving Santiago institution when locals set up trestle tables and pit their wits against each other in fiercely contested chess matches.

Until recently, this has been one of Santiago's hidden treasures, but it is now growing in popularity. This is no ordinary burial ground, more a mini-metropolis of extraordinary tombs. Some are extravagant, some are beautiful, almost all are striking in one way or another. It's also of great historical interest – several leading politicians are buried here, including Salvador Allende, and there is a memorial to all those who disappeared during the Pinochet years. As a necropolis, it rivals those in Buenos Aires.

Daily 0900-1730.

No

Villa Grimaldi, the former headquarters of General Pinochet's notorious secret police force, reopened in 1997 under a new guise as a memorial park to the victims of Chile's military dictatorship. An estimated 5,000 political prisoners were detained and tortured here between the 1973 military coup and 1987 – and 226 of these 'disappeared'. The park opened in March 1997, marking a crucial step in Chile's reconciliation with its bloody past, and was the first government-sanctioned memorial to Pinochet's victims. It houses an oral archive, a museum that provides context for place and to promote human rights. There's also a wide programme of guided and self-guided tours.

Daily 1000-1800.

No