A map and a view. i looked from one to the other and struggled to make the connection. The map was of central Chile, with Santiago at its center. Through the hotel window I gazed at the vague shapes of modern buildings and the shadowy chasms of city streets. Which direction was I facing? It was hard to tell through the veil of haze. The full picture was concealed, both on paper and in reality.

I flipped the map over and found the northern and southern thirds of the country arranged side by side. Most maps of Chile are disjointed. It is not easy to represent a country that is 2,610 miles long and only 115 miles wide.

Santiago sits roughly at the midpoint. To the north and south of me, the country stretched to its distant extremities. To the west, the terrain pitched down to the Pacific Ocean. And to the east, currently shrouded in murk, loomed the snow capped Andes.

Visit Santiago when a rainstorm has cleared the air and you’ll witness one of the most breathtaking backdrops of any capital city in the world. But this morning, more typically, the scenery was blotted out by smog. I had to deduce my bearings from the layout of the roads.

The streets of downtown Santiago were marked out by Spanish conquistadors in 1541. Their starting point was Plaza de Armas, which today — a palm-shaded square surrounded by government buildings and the Metropolitan Cathedral — is effectively the heart not just of the city but of Chile.

With 5.5 million inhabitants, Santiago is home to more than a third of Chile’s total population. All strands of society entwine in the plaza during the day.

I mingled with morning strollers and people briskly exiting the metro station on their way to work. I watched hunched rows of men playing chess in the bandstand. I listened to musicians playing guitars and panpipes. I brushed off the attentions of vendors trying to sell me tacky paintings or balloons or knitted sweaters or stuffed toy llamas. And I skirted a small political demonstration.

From here, with the chants of the protestors fading behind me, I ambled down the main pedestrian artery, Paseo Ahumada. I was immediately struck by the duality of Santiago. Most of the people are of mixed European and native Indian descent, and the faces in the crowd reflected that. In its architecture and way of life, the city feels as much European as South American.

That impression is bolstered by Chile’s political and economic stability, which has encouraged innumerable multi-national corporations to establish regional headquarters here. The city is one of the continent’s financial epicenters, and its success is proclaimed in the rapidly evolving skyline.

There are cranes everywhere. The latest development is the Costanera Center, a multi-billion-dollar project which, on completion in 2010, will include a vast shopping mall, office blocks, a hotel and the tallest skyscraper in South America.

The flip side of the city’s prosperity is the near-permanent pall of smog. A well-developed network of public transport has done little to alleviate the problem, which is largely the result of the peculiar climatic conditions in the shadow of the formidable mountain range.

On my final evening, the heavens opened. I slept fitfully as thunder rumbled and rain drummed against the window. By dawn, the pollution had temporarily washed away. From the airplane, I gazed at the city and saw just how securely it nestles against the stone embrace of the Andes. The snowy peaks shimmered, and Santiago was spread beneath me like a map.

LODGING

GRAND HYATT SANTIAGO

The high-rise district of Las Condes, a 20-minute drive from downtown, is locally nicknamed “Sanhattan.” Pride of place among the Manhattan-like skyscrapers goes to the 24-story Grand Hyatt, which originally opened in 1992 and was thoroughly renovated in 2005. The 310 rooms offer city, mountain or pool views. The Grand Club rooms, which include private check-in as well as free drinks and snacks in the exclusive lounge, are situated on floors 16 through 19. Hotel amenities include a jogging track through the landscaped gardens, a 10,000-square foot outdoor pool, clay tennis courts and a spa. The prestigious Los Leones Golf Club is just three blocks away.$$$$
GRAND HYATT SANTIAGO
Av Kennedy 4601
tel 56 2 9501234
http://www.santiago.grand.hyatt.com

INTERCONTINENTAL SANTIAGO
Located in El Golf, Santiago’s burgeoning center of finance and commerce, InterContinental Santiago is just 15 minutes from the airport, 45 minutes from Chile’s ski slopes and two hours from the Pacific Ocean. The hotel is surrounded by upscale shops and restaurants — in fact, the neighborhood is earning a reputation as a center of gastronomy. San Cristobal Hill, Plaza de Armas and La Moneda Presidential Palace are all nearby. The 296-room hotel includes Club-level rooms with a dedicated lounge serving breakfast, snacks, coffee and cocktails.$$$$
INTERCONTINENTAL SANTIAGO
Av Vitacura 2885, Las Condes
tel 56 2 3942000
http://www.intercontisantiago.com

RITZ-CARLTON, SANTIAGO
Since this luxurious property opened in 2003, it has collected numerous awards and is regularly named the best hotel in Latin America. Located in the upscale El Golf neighborhood east of downtown, the hotel is convenient to some of the city’s finest boutiques and restaurants, though it is a little out-of-the-way if sightseeing is your thing — most of the main tourist attractions are a taxi ride away. The 205 rooms are decorated in Ritz-Carlton’s characteristic Regency style and provide outstanding views of the city and, on a clear day, the Andes. The hotel’s health and fitness center is housed within the building’s distinctive rooftop glass cupola. $$$$
RITZ-CARLTON, SANTIAGO
Calle El Alcalde 15, Las Condes
tel 56 2 4708500
http://www.ritzcarlton.com

DINING

AMORIO

At the top of Santiago’s emerging restaurant culture is this must-have accessory for any fashion-conscious international city: a celebrity-owned eatery. The celebrities in this case are local TV stars Benjamin Vicuna and Gonzalo Valenzuela, who have transformed a 120-year-old brick house in Barrio Bellavista, Santiago’s bohemian quarter, into one of the trendiest venues in town. The cuisine is as trendy as the setting. Starters include ostrich carpaccio, while one of the notable main courses is rabbit and Gruyere pansoti.$$$$
AMORIO
Amorio, Constitucion 181, Providencia
tel 56 2 7771454

THE MAJESTIC

How authentic can an Indian restaurant be when it is located off the lobby of a Best Western in the heart of a South American city? Exhibit A for the defense is the authentically Indian chef, a veteran of top hotels in New Delhi. Exhibit B is the food, a match for any meal I’ve enjoyed in India. The lamb rogan josh is particularly exquisite and has helped make this restaurant so popular that it is advisable to book a table up to a week in advance. The menu also includes a choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes.$$$
THE MAJESTIC
Santo Domingo 1526
tel 56 2 6958366
http://www.bestwestern.com

EL PARRON

The rush for sophistication swept away some of Santiago’s favorite unpretentious restaurants, including several traditional churrascaria steakhouses. El Parron, which first opened in 1936, was one that temporarily bit the dust, only to bounce back in all its meat-and-potatoes glory a few years ago. It is now thriving, with new branches springing up around the city. The original is in the district of Providencia, close to downtown. Vegetarians should stay well away — El Parron is blatantly carnivorous.$$
EL PARRON
El Parron, Av Providencia 1184

DIVERSIONS

Santiago is one of the world’s most scenic cities — when you can see it. The air is generally clearer in the morning, and there are two great viewpoints to take in the full panorama. The first is Cerro Santa Lucia, the hill which provided cover for the first Spanish settlers and which has been transformed into a beautifully landscaped public park close to downtown. There are steps up to the top, or you can take the free elevator on the western side. If you wake to a morning of good visibility, drop everything and head to the top of Cerro San Cristobal. This 2,820-foot peak looms to the northeast of downtown, topped off with a 60-foot statue of the Virgin Mary. Although it is possible to hike up, the easier options are by funicular railway or cable car (http://www.funicular.cl).

The epicenter of the city is Plaza de Armas, with plenty of attractions within easy walking distance, including the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino (http://www.precolombino.cl/) which, with exhibits spanning 5,000 years, boasts one of the world’s best collections of early South and Central American art.

The Museo de Santiago, located in an 18th-century colonial mansion at the southeast corner of Plaza de Armas, provides a modest but fascinating overview of the city’s history.

Aviation enthusiasts won’t want to miss the Museo Nacional Aeronautico at Los Cerrillos Airfield, where a wide range of military and civilian aircraft is on display. The famous vineyards of Maipo Valley can be visited on an easy day-trip. One of the most popular is Concha y Toro (http://www.conchaytoro.com), where you can enjoy guided tours and winetasting. Further along the Maipo Valley, the family-run ranch of Cascada de las Animas (http://www.cascada.net) offers adventurous mountain trekking, horseback riding and rafting.

INFO TO GO

International flights arrive at Comodoro Arturo Benitez International Airport (SCL), 11 miles northwest of downtown. Licensed cabs sport a blue “taxi official” identification; the ride to the city costs approximately $25. Two minibus operators, TransCity and TransVip, offer services to all the city’s hotels, from $8 per person; expect multiple stops along the way. For more information, visit http://www.chile.travel