Santiago de Chile is one big, beautiful, bustling Instagram-worthy city!
The Chilean urban capital, rests deep in a picturesque valley completely encircled by majestic mountains, a picture-perfect backdrop. And there’s even more to Santiago then it’s overwhelmingly stunning surroundings! It takes a little effort to crack the code of this city, but a closer look will reveal a beauty that stems from the inside and blossoms out. Made up of unique neighborhoods, colorful markets, a vibrant street art scene, exquisitely cared for parks, copious architectural styles and a widely diverse population, this city is truly a traveling photographer’s dream come true!
The following guide will prepare you for sharing your unique perspective of Santiago on the Social Media Outlet of Instagram, from where to shoot your perfect photo, how to adjust that photo and get it just right and lastly, how to get it seen in the world of Instagram!
You’re only 5 quick and easy steps away from the perfect Santiago Insta share!

Step #1: Capture the perfect Santiago photo

Before we can get into logistics, you’ll first need an Instagram-worthy shot! As I mentioned before, Santiago is seriously photogenic, so this shouldn’t be too hard to accomplish. Hit a few of the following spots, smart phone or camera in hand and you’re sure to strike gold!
 

Miradores or Lookout points

Some of my favorite shots of Santiago are from above. Try the following lookout points to get as high as possible and capture the contrast of this massive metropolitan city and surrounding mountain ranges.

• Cerro Santa Lucia- a hill located smack in the center of Santiago. Climb the stairs to the highest point and you’ll find a small lookout point with a stunning 360° vista!
• Cerro San Cristobal & Terraza Bellavista– a hill in the Northern section of Santiago with sweeping views over the city, accessible by walking or by Funicular.
• Mirador del Hundimiento- another view point on the opposite side of San Cristobal Hill, with amazing views of Santiago’s Costanera Center.
• Sky Costanera– a panoramic observatory the top of South America’s highest building, must pay a fee to enter

Can’t believe this is my home for the next few months ??? #santiagodechile #santiagocity

A photo posted by Lauren Bonheim (@laurenonlocation) on Feb 18, 2016 at 11:44am PST

Photogenic neighborhoods

The city of Santiago is made of up over 30 different neighborhoods or barrios, each with a very distinct feel and personality. Below are a few that I find particularly photogenic. These picturesque areas are charming, colorful and full of character!

• Barrio Lastarria– quaint upscale neighborhood with cobblestone streets and a European feel.
• Bellas Artes– fashionable artistic neighborhood that is home to a grand museum, decadent architecture and massive bright murals.
• Barrio Italia– quiet neighborhood a bit off the beaten path lined with local design boutiques, antique shops, retro cafés and even emerging startups
• Barrio Bellavista- Santiago’s touristy bohemian district known as a popular nightlife spot. It’s main drag Pio Nono is lined with colorful graffiti and tons of restaurants, shops and cafés.
• Barrio Brasil– Affordable alternative neighborhood attracting Santiago’s students and youth, known for unique architecture and an abundance of creative street art 

Disfrutar del camino te llevara mas lejos ? #BarrioBrasil #SantiagodeChile #Friday #Keepwalking ?
A photo posted by Solo Lo Que Suma ✨ (@andrea.ramos1) on Oct 2, 2015 at 5:02am PDT

Santiago’s Markets

• La Vega Central– Santiago’s famous no frills, authentic fresh food market. With over 500 stalls and hundreds of thousands of visitors passing through daily, there will be no shortage of photo subjects.
• Mercado Central– Santiago’s historic central market located in a beautiful cast-iron building with a vaulted ceiling. Famous for selection of fresh seafood and shellfish, wines, meats and more!

La frescura de La Vega, no dejen de visitarlo #chile #chilean #travelling #instachile #chilegram #santiagodechile #americalatina #instagood #instadaily #igerssantiago #igers @Regrann from @authenticfoodquest – Always up for fresh and juicy fruits. From La Vega farmers market in Santiago, Chile. Do you have a favorite fruit? #fruits #frutas #chile #Regrann
A photo posted by Santiago de Chile (@santiagodechile) on Mar 15, 2016 at 6:47pm PDT

Step #2: Filter that photo

Now that you’ve got that perfect Santiago photo- it’s time to work your magic! Adjust colors, zoom, crop and filter. Play with your photo until it’s just right!
My favorite phone editing photo apps are Snapseed and Afterlight.

Tips for editing photos in Santiago:

• To define the mountains- Play with Brightness, Contrast and Sharpness
• To bring out the colors of a dramatic Santiago sunset- Play with Saturation, Highlights and Warmth

Step 3: Take Advantage of  Specific Hashtags

Tips for Hashtagging in Santiago:

• I recommend including up to 3 hashtags in your photo caption and then adding a few more in a comment below. This way your photo won’t look spammy!
• Start by hashtagging and geotagging your location. This will make it easier for others interested in this specific place to find your photos!
• Mix it up using some less popular hashtags as well as the more popular ones in order to get your image seen. The most used hashtags will recycle photos often and your photo will quickly get pushed down in the feed.

My Favorite Chile Hashtags

• #chile_shots [11K+]
• #chileestuyo [21K+]
• #chile_natural [24K+]
• #chiletravel [25K+]
• #visitchile [29K+]
• #chile_360 [57K+]
• #chilelindo [80K+]
• #icuchile [100K+]
• #chilena [400K+]

My Favorite Hashtags Specific to Santiago

• #santiagolovers [1.5K+]
• #santiagocentro [40K+]
• #santiagoadicto [40K+]
• #santiagochile [60K+]
• #santiagocity [60K+]
• #stgo [200K+]
• #santiagodechile [500K+]

*The above hashtags are listed from least used to most used respectively. The approximate number of photos for each is shown in brackets.

Step #4: Tag Popular Santiago Accounts for Possibility of a #Regram

Increase your possibilities for a #regram by tagging some of Santiago’s leading Instagram accounts in your photo.
Not only will this approach get your photos seen by some of Santiago’s star Instagrammers, but even if one of these large accounts doesn’t regram your photo, there’s still a good chance you’ll get seen by others interested in them, as your photo will show up in their tagged section.
Recently I’ve been regrammed a few times by a very popular account, Santiago Adicto which led to a lot of interaction on my own account! I even gained a few local followers from their regrams.

Some of these accounts also have their own unique hashtags allowing followers to browse through other users with similar photos. You can find these hashtags listed below.

These Santiago Instagram accounts will share your photos and give you credit for it!

• IG Santiago de Chile [1K+ followers]
  • Handle: @IG_santiagodechile | Unique hashtag: #ig_santiagodechile
• Santiago Lovers [2K+ followers]
  • Handle: @santiagolovers  |  Unique hashtag: #santiagolovers
• Stgo Locura [3k+ followers]
  • Handle: @stgolocura  |  Unique hashtag: #stgolocura
• Santiago Cerros Isla [6K+ followers]
  • Handle: @santiagocerrosisla  |  Unique hashtag: #stgocerrosisla
• Visit Santiago [8K+ followers]
  • Handle: @visitsantiago  |  Unique hashtag: #visitsantiago
• Santiago de Chile [9K+ followers]
  • Handle: @santiagodechile  |  Unique hastag: #santiagodechile
• Amo Santiago [9K+ followers]
  • Handle:  @amosantiago
• Santiaguista [26K+ followers]
  • Handle: @santiaguista  |  Unique hashtag: #santiaguista
• Santiago Adicto [82K+ followers]
  • Handle: @santiagoadicto  |  Unique hashtag: #santiagoadicto

*You may have better luck starting with some of the smaller scale accounts.

Step #5: Interact with others

The last step I’m going to share with you about getting your photos seen in the Santiago Instagram Scene is- interact with others! It’s called social media for a reason! Just as you’d like to see your Instagram’s interaction increase, others do too! Chileans are extremely social people, but I’ve found that they are more likely to interact with your account, if go out on a limb and make the first move! Search for some of the above hashtags, accounts and geo-tags and spread the love! I guarantee, you’ll get some right back! 😀

What are your favorite travel Instagram tips?

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