La Legua

I chose "La Legua" because I think it is a representative neighborhood of Santiago. Yes, the city has a lot of beautiful neighborhoods as Lastarria, Concha y Toro or París-Londres. In particular, I love "Barrio Yungay". But, in fact, most common people of Santiago live in a neighborhood as La Legua. Contrary to what most people believe, La Legua has a beautiful side.
La Lengua is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Santiago. It was founded in 1927 by unemployed workers of saltpeter companies that arrived to Santiago when the Chilean saltpeter industry was living its final days. The origin of the name is because the neighborhood is one "legua" from Santiago downtown. A "legua" was a Spanish distance unit, based in time. It means the distance that one person could walk in one hour (5.6 km aprox.). The original neighborhood housed socially marginalized people that arrived to Santiago looking for new opportunities.
20 years later, In 1947, The city of Santiago was living an explosive population growth, that implied the arising of homeless people. Many of them were established in "Sajón de la aguada" channel bank in very poor conditions. The unhealthy conditions and poor life expectations produced an illegal occupation by homeless of a farm area near to the Sanjón de la Aguada. So, it was born a new neighborhood called "La Legua nueva"(The new legua). The area has been known as Zañartu and it is east to La Legua, which name was changed to "La legua vieja" (The old legua).
In 1951, the "Sanjón de la aguada" channel overflowed producing a destruction of the nearby houses. The Chilean government built temporal houses north of the old legua in an area called "Maestranza". In the end, were the final houses. Then, this sector was known as "La Legua-Emergencia" or simply "Emergencia".
Some years later the name "La Legua" began to be used for the three neighborhoods.
In September 11, 1973, La Legua was one of the few neighborhoods of Santiago that opposed the coup d'état. The sector was controlled 5 days after by Chilean air force. Many residents were killed during the process.
Today, La Legua is fighting against drug trafficking and crime. There are many plans to change the neighborhood, that include demolishing La Legua-Emergencia (the most dangerous zone of La Legua) and interconnect to the city. La Legua has great expectations because is near to downtown Santiago and the most important areas of the city.

Río Clarillo

The place in Santiago that I like the most is Río Clarillo, in porque. It is a beautiful place, so different of Santiago. It is a National Reserve, known for not many people.

The person in charged of CONAF, asked you for the place that you want to go. I recommended you to go to the “Reserva Nacional”, there it is more beautiful and more entertaining. There are natural pools, with water from the Andes Mountains. The “Principal”, the other place that you can visited, is more familiar but with less nature.

Río Clarillo is a place to go with family or friends, old and young. You can do barbecue, swing, relax and breathe fresh air.

You can go there in microbus, in Bellavista La Florida or La Cisterna subway station, there are several buses, or the other way to go there is by car following the road to Pirque. The journey last 45 minutes.

The cost of entrance is $2.000 adults, $1.000 kids and students.

Advice: For a good place with pool, you must arrive early, before 10.30 AM.