48 hours in Santiago, Chile

British Airways’ new flight route to Santiago touches down at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport at 09:00 (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Mondays), giving you a whole day to make the most of the capital’s sunny weather.

Head to your hotel first, drop off your bags and freshen up. If you want to be in the heart of the action, try The Singular, a luxurious property tucked among the many eateries of the Lastarria district. Alternatively, the glitzy skyscrapers of trendy Las Condes are where you will find the InterContinental and W Hotel, while the Grand Hyatt is a little further out but within walking distance of one of Alonso de Cordoba, the city’s most stylish shopping streets.

The grand early 20th century buildings and winding lanes of the Lastarria district were long forgotten until a foodie scene took hold about five years ago. Grab a pavement table at Sur Patagónico and watch the world go by as you eat lamb, beef or venison cooked on the parrilla (grill) washed down with an artisan beer.

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For coffee and pastries with a twist, head to Boulevard Lavaud, a café housed in an elegant 19th-century building known as the Peluquería Francesa (the French hairdresser). First opened in 1868, one part of the building still operates as a hairdresser, while the separate café-restaurant is a quirky exposed-brick, antique-filled delight.

Stroll through the Barrio Brasil neighbourhood – home to historic houses decorated with street art and student posters calling for communist revolution – to little Barrio Concha y Toro, where the streets are lined with beautiful beaux artes mansions.

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With 6,435km of coastline, Chile boasts excellent seafood. Try fish stew and sweet king crab at the elegant wrought iron Central Market, where the catch of the day is served up at restaurants and food stalls just hours after it was brought in from the Pacific.

La Chascona means ‘the messy haired one’ and was named for Pablo Neruda’s mistress. The Nobel Prize-winning poet’s blue house, tucked down a quiet Bellavista street, is a testament to his love of the sea and is designed as a cross between a ship and a lighthouse.

You’ve tried pisco and artisan beer, now it’s time to sample Chile’s most famous export – its wine. At Bocanáriz a huge blackboard takes up the entirety of one wall, showing all 400 national wines on sale. Chilean fish and meat dishes have been created to complement the many vintages as well as helping you to soak up the good stuff.

Santiago’s Barrio Italia (Italian quarter) is full of artsy boutiques, hole-in-the-wall coffee shops and stylish, low-lit bars, but is often overlooked by tourists. Join the locals at The Jazz Corner for an evening of live music and inventively-named cocktails – try the No Diga Nada (don’t say anything) with lemon, basil, cucumber, Peruvian gin and tonic water.

After a heavy night, indulge in bacon, cinnamon waffles and eggs cooked to order at Coquinaria. There are three scattered around the city, but Santiago’s in-crowd head to the original one at the W Hotel.