San Cristóbal Hill

Cerro San Cristóbal.

Statue of the Virgin Mary on the top of Cerro San Cristóbal

Cerro San Cristóbal is a hill in northern Santiago, Chile. It rises 880 m AMSL and about 300 m above the rest of Santiago; the peak is the second highest point in the city, after Cerro Renca. Its original indigenous name was Tupahue. It was named by the Spanish conquistadors for St Christopher, in recognition of its use as a landmark.

At the peak, there is a church with an amphitheater, and a 22 meter statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary inaugurated in 1908, financed by private contributions and cast in France. Pope John Paul II gave mass there in 1987. The spot is a superb location from which to view the city - when the smog permits it (usually in the summer or after it rains).

At its foothills are the Metropolitan Zoo and a Japanese-style garden, and up there are also two municipal pools, Tupahue and Antilén.

Cerro San Cristóbal houses Santiago's largest public park: Parque Metropolitano (Metropolitan Park).

External links

• Parque Metropolitano's official site
• Virtual Tour on 360° of San Cristobal Hill Chilexplora.com