What parts of Santiago, Chile are safe for a single female to reside?

Question

*I am from another country and don't yet speak Spanish*

Answer 1

I'm a single female living in Chile and basically what I can tell you is that Santiago is like most any other city anywhere else in the world. It's probably even a little safer than most of the large cities in the United States. There is very little violent crime here, most of the crime is theft related.

The only area I can tell you for sure to avoid is La Pintana. The best places are Las Condes, Vitacura, La Reina and Providencia. As with any city, if you just use common sense, you will not have problems.

There is one small cultural difference down here that I noticed though. A single woman walking alone is fair game for thieves and getting hit on. Not so much during the day, but it really is inadvisable to walk alone at night here. If you are with another person, you are pretty much left alone, especially if the other person is a man. It's just a cultural thing and I have not had any problems. I'm alone most of the time and as I said, using plain old common sense keeps you out of trouble.

Not speaking Spanish is not too much of a problem either, I didn't speak Spanish when I arrived here either. People are patient and friendly and you shouldn't have a problem. In Santiago, you will have a decent chance that someone nearby will speak at least some English too. Not so much outside of the capital but here in Santiago, no problem. I just did a lot of pointing and sign language. You should have seen the day I was trying to explain that I wanted chicken wings....

Anyway, Santiago is safe, so don't preoccupy yourself with that. Just enjoy the sights, people, food and culture and have a great time.