Is Santiago safe for solo female travelers?

Solo travel

I have been walking around alone in the Bellavista area and never had anything suspicious. I have been feeling quite safe. For that I do make sure I don’t look wandering about and usually walk with a purpose and don’t go wandering around ar night.

Solo travel

I was in Santiago for 2 days and I fell in love with this city. I stayed in the central part and felt quite safe there. I recommend going on wine tours near Santiago, as well as visiting Portillo, where Laguna del Inca is located. In addition, the best neighborhoods to stay in are Providencia, Las Condes, Bellavista, and Vitacura.

Solo travel

I liked Chile as a country, but I absolutely hated Santiago. I never felt safe there. On my first night, a certain man started following me, and the whole city was full of homeless people and graffiti on every building, which just took away its beauty. I was annoyed that I had booked a week there, so I tried to fill most of my days with day trips outside of Santiago, and I really enjoyed that. There was really nothing particularly cool or interesting to do there. I was there in February, during the summer, so it was very hot, which only worsened my experiences. I will never go back there.

Santiago is quite safe, but certain neighborhoods should be avoided, such as Bellavista. Don't go alone, and if it gets late, call an Uber. Don't walk through the streets in that area after 9:00 p.m. Also, when walking through crowded places, don't carry your backpack on your back to avoid theft.

Although Santiago is a relatively safe city compared to other Latin American cities, you should be cautious in some areas. During the day, it's generally quite calm and safe. You can use public transportation or ride-hailing apps, but you should always be on the lookout for robberies and scams, especially targeting tourists. You should protect your cell phone, as well as flashy cameras, bags, and wallets. At night, you should be careful in dark areas. Always walk on main streets and try to use ride-hailing apps like Uber to ensure your safety. If you have a good budget, you can consider staying in areas like Providencia or Las Condes. If your budget is a little lower, you can consider the areas of Ñuñoa or downtown Santiago, but ideally, the areas that are close to a metro station.

Although I find it to be an unsafe city, you can still explore and enjoy it if you are cautious, don't carry your cell phone in your hand on the street, and don't “give yourself away.” The city center and intercity bus terminals are the most critical areas, so be especially careful when traveling there. One thing to note is that women help each other a lot, so if you find yourself in a risky situation, turn to a girl for help.

Like every city, Santiago has safer neighborhoods (the north-western part of the city, often called “Santiago Oriente” is much safer than other parts). Obviously, more touristy places are more dangerous (downtown) and there are pickpockets, purse snatchers and it’s very common to have your phone stolen (happened to me), BUT! Catcalling and sexual harassment has been banned by law and you can go to the police to denounce a person for making comments that made you uncomfortable, or for being too close without your consent, so that’s a plus. When you’re walking around somewhere always look like you’re sure about where you’re going, and pay a lot of attention to your stuff (don’t have your phone in your hand unless strictly necessary, have your bag crossed over your shoulders and on the front of your body, etc), and try to avoid wearing obviously expensive stuff. Use Uber or Cabify to move around instead of taxis, but be very wary of the rating of the drivers and check that their picture and the license plate of the car matches the pictures on the app. As for public transport, my advise is the same as the one for when you’re walking around: look sure, be careful of your personal stuff, don’t wear obviously expensive stuff. It doesn’t happen much to my knowledge, but it has happened that women have been drugged while partying, so never accept drinks from someone you don’t know and watch as your drinks are being mixed. People tend to “fool” foreigners, charging them more money for stuff, taking them places that are not safe (never go anywhere with someone you don’t know and feel weird about, but I know that sometimes that’s impossible not to do so really trust your gut), but I guess that happens everywhere?

Being a big city, it is exposed to associated risks such as robberies mainly, but it is enough to be cautious and not expose yourself. It is a city with many daily panoramas and beautiful places to visit, such as the cultural, natural and common places.