Sports in Santiago: From Golf and Tennis to Surf, Climbing and Mountain Biking Near the Capital

Santiago: the city with the Andes on one side and the Pacific on the other

There are very few capital cities in the world where you can play a round of golf or book a tennis court in the morning and, that same afternoon, be paddling into a six-meter wave, cycling between glaciers, or breathing thin air at 5,000 meters. Santiago is one of them. The same geography that makes it unique — wedged between the Andes and the Pacific — turns it into one of the most versatile sports cities in South America, equally suited to a classic club game and to genuine wilderness adventure.

You don't need days of travel to find either. Here's a rundown, the way a local friend who's actually been to each of these places would tell it, starting with the sports Santiago plays like any great capital, before heading into the outdoor and extreme sports that make it truly one of a kind.

City sports, world-class settings: golf, tennis, and running

Santiago has been a golf and tennis city for over a century, and it shows. Club de Golf Los Leones, founded in 1910 in the upscale Las Condes district, is one of Latin America's most storied courses — an 18-hole, par-72 layout that has hosted the Eisenhower Trophy, the world amateur team championship, with the Andes rising directly behind its fairways. Nearby, Prince of Wales Country Club, dating to 1925, has long served as home to the Chile Open. Both, along with several other clubs scattered through the eastern and northern parts of the city, mean a serious round of golf is never far from wherever you're staying.

Tennis runs just as deep in the local sporting culture — it's Chile's second most popular spectator sport, backed by a strong tradition of ATP-level Chilean players — and the city has both private clubs and public courts where visitors can book a game, from long-established clubs downtown to modern complexes in Vitacura and Las Condes.

For anyone who'd rather just lace up and go, Santiago is an unexpectedly good running city. Parque Bicentenario in Vitacura is the local favorite: 30 hectares along the Mapocho River with flat, traffic-free paths, a lit 3-kilometer loop, and the Andes as a constant backdrop. Parque Metropolitano, wrapping around Cerro San Cristóbal, draws thousands of runners and cyclists every weekend on routes that climb right into the hills overlooking the city. Both are the kind of places where a morning jog turns into one of the better views you'll get of Santiago all trip.

Cajón del Maipo: Santiago's adventure backyard

Less than an hour from downtown, Cajón del Maipo is probably the place where the widest range of sports comes together in a single valley. It's a massive canyon carved by the Maipo River, framed by glaciers, volcanoes, and rivers that flow straight down from the mountains.

For those who prefer pedaling, there are mountain bike circuits for every level — from technical descents on dirt and rock trails to high-altitude routes starting near 3,000 meters, skirting the El Yeso Reservoir with Andean views that feel otherworldly. The most experienced riders take on the Ruta del Cóndor, which connects the El Alfalfal area to Farellones across the mountain.

If you'd rather set the pace on foot, trekking in the Cajón has options for everyone: gentle walks to lagoons and viewpoints, and high-mountain routes like the hike to El Morado Natural Monument, with the San Francisco Glacier as a backdrop. And for those chasing something with more of a pulse, the valley also offers rock climbing, rafting on the Maipo River's rapids, and even fly fishing in its cold mountain streams.

Winter turns the same valley into a completely different playground. Once the snow settles in above 2,500 meters, the Cajón becomes one of the few places in the world where you can go ski touring (randonnée) minutes from a capital city — climbing untouched slopes with skins on your skis, then skiing back down through terrain no chairlift will ever reach.

High-altitude climbing: reaching where the air runs thin

For those who want to go a step beyond trekking, Santiago offers something rare: direct access to mountains over 5,000 meters without needing a weeks-long expedition.

The star of the show is Cerro El Plomo, standing 5,424 meters tall and visible from much of the city on clear days. It's accessed from the La Parva or Valle Nevado ski resorts, and the 3-to-4-day ascent doesn't require advanced technical skill — though it does demand proper acclimatization, mule support for gear, and, for the final stretch near the Iver Glacier, crampons and an ice axe. It's the classic gateway climb for those who later dream of Aconcagua or Tupungato, and it's climbed with respect: beyond being a mountain, it's a sacred site for the Inca world, carrying the full historical weight of the "Niño del Plomo" mummy found at its summit.

For those just starting out in high-altitude climbing, there are shorter options along the same mountain range, with viewpoints and acclimatization camps that let you experience a night above 3,500–4,000 meters without committing to a multi-day summit push.

Surfing: from the rhythm of the city to the cold of the Pacific

About three hours from Santiago, the coastline takes on an entirely different personality. Pichilemu is the undisputed capital of Chilean surfing, and that's no exaggeration: in 2011 it was named the first World Surfing Reserve in the Americas, joining a list as short as Malibu or Ericeira.

That's where you'll find Punta de Lobos, a world-class left that can reach six meters and draws big-wave surfers from around the globe, regularly featuring in international big-wave circuits. But Pichilemu has a gentler side too — beaches like La Puntilla are ideal for beginners, with softer sand-bottom waves. Between March and October conditions get bigger and more consistent; summer, on the other hand, is the season for intermediates and beginners.

If Pichilemu feels like too long a drive, Maitencillo — one hour from Santiago on the Valparaíso Region coast — is one of the co

untry's best beach breaks, with peeling lefts and rights over sand that make it a favorite for surfers of every level, from first-timers to those looking for something a bit punchier.

One detail worth knowing: the water hovers around 12–15°C (54–59°F) year-round, so a thick wetsuit (4/3mm) is essential no matter the season or spot you choose to paddle out.

Diving and sailing: two worlds on the same stretch of coast

What few travelers expect is that just an hour and a half from Santiago, in Algarrobo, you can dive in cold waters that are surprisingly rich in marine life. There are more than a dozen dive sites just offshore, among rocky reefs, kelp forests, and underwater passageways where sponges, nudibranchs, and fish native to the Chilean coast make their home. Nearby, at Penguin Island, it's possible to spot colonies of Humboldt penguins in their natural habitat — from the boat, or even during the dive itself.

Quintay, a bit further north, is another classic diving spot in the central coast for those who already hold a certification and are looking for more exposed sites with better visibility during certain times of year. Between the two, the Valparaíso Region likely offers the most accessible and varied diving in mainland Chile for anyone starting out from Santiago.

Algarrobo's bay isn't just about what's

underwater, either — it's known as Chile's "Náutica Capital" (nautical capital), home to the country's most active yacht club and dozens of sailing regattas every year, thanks to steady winds and a bay sheltered from commercial traffic. It's a fitting complem

ent to a diving day: dive in the morning, watch the sails go up in the afternoon.

Mountain biking without ever leaving the city

You don't even need to drive out of Santiago to get your tires dirty. Cerro San Cristóbal, the hill that rises right out of the city center, is where most locals get their first taste of mountain biking, with trails winding through the same park that holds the city's botanical garden and zoo.

From there, the foothills ringing the eastern edge of Santiago open up into a string of dedicated riding areas. El Durazno Bike Park, in the Lo Barnechea foothills, has been Santiago's benchmark MTB spot for over two decades, with trails for every level — from family-friendly paths to expert-only descents — and sweeping views back over the whole city. Nearby, Las Varas adds another network of trails favored by more experienced riders, while further north, Chicureo has become a go-to for riders looking for flowing singletrack closer to the valley floor. Together, they make Santiago one of the few capitals where a serious mountain bike day is a short drive — or in some cases just a pedal — from your hotel.

One city, every sport

What makes Santiago special isn't a single sport — it's the range, from a round of golf or a morning run through a manicured park to high-altitude climbing, surfing, and diving with penguins in the background, all reachable in a single trip. Few capital cities in the world let you put together such a diverse week of sport without ever boarding a plane.

At Santiago Around, we design private, tailor-made experiences for those who want to live these sports with local guides, dedicated vehicles, and the logistics fully handled — whether it's a game of golf or tennis in the city, a day of surfing on the coast, a high-altitude expedition to Cerro El Plomo, or a day of mountain biking in Cajón del Maipo or the hills right above the city.