San Diego is one of Santiago’s most traditional commercial districts, where its streets are a constant invitation to experience the diversity, history, and vitality of this part of the city. Its origins date back to the construction of the now-disappeared San Diego church and school in the 18th century—belonging to the Franciscan order—and the birth of the avenue of the same name, which once served as the southern exit from the capital.

By the 20th century, as the city expanded, San Diego had already taken on the commercial character it is known for today, filled with small- and medium-scale shops while preserving the spirit of its past. Its streets also witnessed the heyday of Santiago’s bohemian nightlife, with bright neon signs and evening entertainment venues.

Stretching from the Alameda to the Franklin neighborhood, San Diego is famous for its shops selling nationally made bicycles, its well-known booksellers offering a wide variety of affordable titles, and its iconic theaters such as Caupolicán and Roma, as well as the beloved Juegos Diana. The district also treasures the Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, built in the 1920s and inspired by Paris’s Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Its old signs advertising “cordonerías,” taverns, and eateries reflect the memory of a neighborhood that remains alive, adding color and vibrancy to this quintessential corner of Santiago.