Pueblito Los Dominicos

Pueblito Los Dominicos is a colonial-style craft village at Av. Apoquindo 9085 in Las Condes, next to the Metro Los Dominicos station at the eastern end of Santiago's Line 1. It grew up beside the Los Dominicos church and convent and is organised as a small village of whitewashed lanes, courtyards and around 160 workshops. Unlike the souvenir arcades of the city centre, many of its stalls are working studios where the maker is present, and the goods include lapis lazuli jewellery, copper kitchenware and decor, wool sweaters and ponchos, leather items, ceramics, wood carvings and paintings. The ratio of handmade to mass-produced goods is better than in most tourist shopping areas, though some stalls do sell imported souvenirs, so it pays to ask where an item was made. Chilean lapis lazuli is a speciality, and visitors should compare stones and prices across several workshops. Prices run from about CLP 3,000 for small items up to CLP 150,000 for larger pieces. Fixed prices are the norm in many shops, although polite bargaining is accepted at some stalls, particularly when buying several items. Most workshops accept cards, and cash remains useful for small purchases. Foreign visitors should note that the Chilean VAT exemption applies only to certain hotel services, not to shopping, so no refund should be expected on crafts. The atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly, noticeably calmer than the central markets, with small restaurants and cafes serving empanadas, sandwiches, grilled meat and ice cream, and a small plaza with live music at times. The layout is a loop of lanes around a central square, and the church and its garden at the village edge are worth a short visit. Opening hours are daily from 10:30 to 19:30, and weekends are the busiest.