BA versus Santiago

[brent95m3]

I know you're sick and tired of these...yes I've read the comparisons. Ultimately I'll have to visit to make my decision. That said, if anyone has any opinions considering my circumstances, I'd love to hear them.

From the start, I've been leaning towards BA, but now while more carefully considering my own situation I am wondering if Santiago might be a better option.

Planned length of stay: 2 years to indefinitely
Finances: American currency, enough to live comfortably in either city
Activity level: Extremely active, cycling, snowboarding, running, beach, hiking, etc.
Sexual preference: Gay
Moving from: Los Angeles most recently, have lived in Texas, Boston, Sydney
Nightlife: Not really interested, but would be keen to check it out occasionally

First, I love cycling and snowboarding. I'm not planning on purchasing a vehicle so easy access would be nice. I only cycle for sport, not transportation, so it would be nice to have access to mountains and country roads to do this on. From what I'm reading, BA may not be the best suited for this. I'd love to go snowboarding 1-2 weekends a month in season. I'm not sure if this is feasible in BA.

My life in LA is crazy busy, but with travels and fitness events. I'd love to be able to enjoy the outdoors as much as I do now. Any thoughts considering these qualifiers?

 

[brent95m3]

Also to note, I'm 28 years old.

 

[MizzMarr]

Hi Brent. I have lived in BA for 5+ years and spent a month and a half living in Santiago. I'm certainly not an expert on Santiago, but sounds like with the focus on the outdoors and active lifestyle combined with your lack of interest in nightlife that Buenos Aires really won't suit your needs.

Santiago has some nice parks with steep hills that you can run or bike, plus access to beaches, mountains, lakes and even the snowy areas where you can snowboard will be a lot more accessible from Santiago (even if you're flying to Bariloche, Argentina--which is a flight or a 20+ hr bus ride from BsAs).Both cities get some bad air pollution.

Living in BA one of the things I absolutely miss the most and that makes me the craziest about living here (in a bad way) is the lack of access to nature. I was born in the Sierra Nevadas (near Lake Tahoe) and lived in Washington state before coming here, and I literally get heartsick thinking of the beautiful natural resources (hiking, camping, boating, biking) that I miss painfully.

BsAs is an island. There is no "real" nature within several if not many hours travel of here (depending on if you travel by air or bus), and travel isn't cheap. Beaches are 4-5 hours away minimum on a bus from BsAs, but there's Viña del Mar/Valpariso only an hour from Santiago.

I just poked around quickly on the airline sites (LAN and Aerolineas) and a flight from BA to Bariloche (for snowboarding) would cost $500+ dollars r/t. The only results I could find from Santiago to Bariloche were similar. On a bus I know the trip would be a lot shorter (it's about 24hrs on the bus from BA) and probably cheaper, but I don't have those numbers. I'm sure there are some other people on the site who do snow sports more than I that can hopefully chime in!

Santiago has a more stable economy than BsAs, and in my opinion they have a better music scene too. That said, I hated the food in Santiago (tho I don't love it in BA either and have learned to love to cook, and to cook a lot) and think that gay acceptance is probably high in both places. I had a harder time with the Chilean Spanish than I did with Argentine Spanish, and though I did make some good friends in santiago had a bit of a harder time meeting people than in Buenos Aires.

I hope other people chime in and can help give you some guidance, but I say based on your outdoorsy inclinations that Santiago may be a better fit for you. If you can afford it, visit both cities before deciding!

 

[jb5]

I'd consider Mendoza. Not a big city, but has all the activities you seek and the Argentine flavor which I like better than the Chilean. It will be a bargain compared to Santiago too. Short flight to BA or bus ride/drive to Santiago when you want the big city.

We considered both BA and Santiago and BA won hands down. It's a much more vibrant, interesting city. We also like the Argentine friendliness much more than the Chilean aloofness.

 

[TheBlackHand]

Go to Santiago.

 

[chris]

Recent student riots notwithstanding, Chile is a much more stable country with a far more transparent government. A couple of years ago I'd have said that Chile is much less interesting. Now I see the country in a far more positive light. Argentina keeps getting worse while Chile for the most part progresses.

The closest nature to BA is the Tigre delta, not very far away but you CAN get away from urban life. Just outside Santiago you have wine country and open fields. Nature is probably more accessible.

I'd say that Chile is overall more conservative but things are probably changing. Considering the situation in Argentina at this point, I'd go for Chile.

 

[perry]

I would highly recommend El bolson in the Rio Negro province. Its a terrific city for nature lovers and you can do all the sports including snowboarding , rafting, swimming , and hiking in the numerous mountains that surround this paradise.

El Bolson is a tolerant city and was originally put on the map by its alternative lifestylers who make up a significant portion of the population. Another huge plus is its organic food and its excellent restaurants that serve fantastic vegetarian and health conscious meals.

 

[Quinn]

Brent, Santiago, hands down, not even close based primarily on your interests. I don't know anything about the gay scene in Santiago though, other than that it exists, but maybe not like in BA.

 

[Philsword]

Well B.A. is very flat, good for bicycles, no hills to climb, no snow for snowboards however. For hundreds of miles around B.A. is flat mainly farmland about the same geography as Kansas. There are mountains in Argentina but moving to B.A. to enjoy them would be like moving to Chicago to enjoy the Rockies. Smaller towns closer to the mountains and outdoor activities might be an alternative, but it sounds like you are a big city person.

 

[RichardP]

Another vote for Santiago. I also enjoy the same activities and feel desperate after a couple of months in Buenos Aires. You can always get a weekend flight over to BA if Santiago gets boring.