Virgin Mary Statue Santiago Chile

Closeup View Statue of the Virgin Mary in Santiago Chile

This picture was taken on full zoom as I wanted to see how 'close' I could get.

From Cerro Santa Lucia to Cerro San Cristobal, according to google maps, it's about 11 kms or nearly 7 miles, so the camera did a good job, without tripod to help steady it.

Unfortunately, there's no way but photoshop to remove the power lines that cross the cerro (hill).

On a side note, I was pleased to see that the Santiago air quality had much improved in the past few years.

Even though these pictures were taken the second week in December (almost summer, and hot!), there is a lot less smog over the city than in years past.

Statue of the Virgin in the middle of Parque Metropolitano

In this view, a wider shot, you can see the power lines and the tower to the right.

On an earlier trip, I went by car to the base of this statue, and from there, you move around to better frame the shot and get a good closeup.

The elevation of the hill is 869 meters (2850 feet), and the statue itself is 36 meters or about 100 feet high.

See pictures from earlier trip here.

Naked Eye View of Statue of Mary from Downtown Santiago Chile

This is close to what you will likely see, weather permitting, from one of the lookouts on the east side of Cerro Santa Lucia.

I walked through this park several times a day, as its north boundary was across the street from where I was staying (the MonteCarlo), and enjoyed seeing this landmark from a different angle.

Cerro San Cristobal is included on most Santiago City tours, or ask at your hotel for how to visit on your own.

Related: Patagonia; Chile travel info; Chile plants, trees;, What to Pack South America.