Sky Costanera Santiago: South America's Highest Observation Deck

Sky Costanera is the highest observation deck in South America — a glass-enclosed viewing platform on the 62nd floor of the Gran Torre Santiago skyscraper in Providencia, rising 300 metres above the city to offer 360-degree panoramic views that extend across the entire Valle de Chile to the snow-capped Andes on clear days and north along the Pacific coastal plain. The tower itself is the tallest building in Latin America, completed in 2013, and its observation deck provides the best possible introduction to Santiago's dramatic geography: a modern South American metropolis of seven million people dramatically framed by one of the world's great mountain ranges.

The views from Sky Costanera are best on winter mornings between June and August when the air is clearest and the Andes appear closest — the mountains' permanent snowfields and the occasional volcanic peak visible beyond create a backdrop that makes Santiago's urban scale even more impressive by comparison. Summer smog (produced by Santiago's geography, which traps pollution in the valley) can significantly reduce visibility, particularly in January and February. The observation deck operates an outdoor terrace on the 61st floor in addition to the enclosed glass viewing area, providing an unobstructed open-air perspective on the city and mountains that rewards those willing to accept whatever wind and temperature the day brings.

Sky Costanera is located within the Costanera Center shopping complex — South America's largest mall — making it easy to combine the observation deck visit with lunch at one of the mall's restaurants before or after the ascent. The surrounding Providencia neighbourhood is one of Santiago's most pleasant for walking, with tree-lined streets, good restaurants on Suecia and Bucarest Streets, and easy metro access to the rest of the city. The Mapocho River walking and cycling path runs beside the tower complex, providing a green corridor along the river that extends eastward toward the Andes through the upscale Las Condes district and eventually reaches the Cajón del Maipo canyon.