Put your money on a Green Bike
Get to know Santiago on a bicycle
The company offers cycling routes to get to know the different corners of the city, from the markets and bohemian neighborhoods to the parks and vineyards near the capital.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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One of the best ways to tour a city is on a bicycle. That
is what La Bicicleta Verde
(the Green Bicycle), a company that offers two-wheeled tours of Santiago, is banking on. This initiative recently appeared in a
feature in the New York Times about the city:
“The city’s long boulevards, hillside lanes and leafy
parks are a bicyclist’s paradise, especially during the weekends when the
streets are thronged by spandexed bikers”, commented the U.S. newspaper
about the bike rides along the Chilean capital.
La
Bicicleta Verde was created in 2007 “as a way of offering a more
intimate tour of Santiago to tourists, where they can take a city tour or visit vineyards in an entertaining and more familiar way”, says
Joel Martínez, partner of the company. Today they rent different models of
bicycles, including tandems that are ideal for couples, and also offer guided
daytime and nighttime circuits from US$ 30 a time. Renting a basic bicycle for the whole day costs around US$ 24.
What are the advantages of visiting the city on a
bicycle? Apart from a level of closeness that can’t be achieved from a motor
vehicle, pedaling is healthy exercise that allows you to stay in shape even
when you’re on holiday. Martínez adds that “we can visit places in Santiago on a bicycle
that we would never be able to by bus, such as the Vega Central (market), the
París-Londres neighborhood or the Parque Forestal.”
In addition, he states, clients don’t have to wait for
a parking spot and can avoid traffic jams. “On our trips, we realize that there
are many parks in Santiago
that we can enjoy in a relaxed way on a bicycle. It is also important to stress
that our tours are city-friendly in environmental terms.”
The routes
The daytime city tour begins at 9:30 am and focuses on
the city neighborhoods where the “popular culture” hangs out: the bohemian
Bellavista, Patronato (a sector famous for the shops of Arab and Korean
immigrants), the Vega Central (a fruit and vegetable market), and then proceeds
to La Moneda
(the Chilean presidential palace) and the architecturally striking
París-Londres neighborhood. “Our main
themes are the parks and recent political history of Chile”, says Martínez.
The night tour begins at 8:00 pm and includes the Military Academy,
the Bicentennial Park, Vitacura and Providencia. All
safety elements required for a night tour are provided, including lights and
helmet.
As wine is one of the most renowned products of Chile, the
company also offers a tour along the Maipo
Valley that is
recognized for its wine production. The tour includes visits to three
vineyards: a family-owned one, a boutique vineyard and an organic one, and ends
with wine-tasting directly from the barrel.
La
Bicicleta Verde
Website: www.labicicletaverde.com
Address: Santa María Av. 227, office 12, Santiago, Chile. Telephone: (56 2) 570 9338