Mercado Central
A cast-iron hall prefabricated in England in 1872, filled with fishmongers and conger eel.
Duration
45 min – 1 hr 30 min
Best time
In the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The hall was ordered from England: the cast-iron frame was prefabricated in Glasgow, shipped in pieces and reassembled in Santiago in 1872. It was the fashion of the day, and it explains the gap between the building and what it holds.
It sells Pacific fish and shellfish: conger eel, macha clams, locos, sea urchins. The restaurants in the middle of the hall are expensive and their touts persistent; the canteens round the edge, where the traders eat, serve the same caldillo de congrio for far less.
Getting there
Between Ismael Valdés Vergara and San Pablo streets. Metro to Puente Cal y Canto, line 2, two minutes on foot.
What to bring
- Reef shoes
- Dry bag
Rules on site
The touts for the central restaurants quote prices that are not on the menu: the canteens round the edge are far cheaper. The market closes in the early afternoon.
