How to make friends in Santiago, Chile if you're new in town
· Callumbra
Moving to Santiago for work, study or a fresh start can be exciting and, at the same time, pretty lonely. Making friends as an adult is hard in any big city, because people already have their groups. The key is creating chances to see the same people several times. These ideas work whether you come from elsewhere in Chile or from another country.
Repeat places and times
Friendship comes from repetition: seeing the same people again and again. Pick one or two weekly activities and stick with them, instead of trying something different every week. By the third or fourth time, conversation comes naturally.
Activities where it's easy to meet people
- Group sports: football teams, running or weekend hiking. In a city surrounded by hills, group hikes are very common.
- In-person classes: languages, dance, cooking, photography or theater. They give you a shared topic and repeat every week.
- Volunteering: besides helping, it brings together people with similar values.
- Language exchange groups: if you speak another language, it's a natural way to meet both Chileans and foreigners.
- Activities at your university, institute or workplace, even if you don't feel like going at first.
Use the internet to take the first step
Apps and social media don't replace meeting in person, but they help you take the first step. Look for groups for your neighborhood, your district or your favorite activity, and see what they organize.
Talking on a video call before meeting up also helps: in five minutes you know whether you get along, without having to arrange a coffee with someone you don't know.
Small habits that make a difference
- Say yes to invitations, even if just for a while.
- Take the initiative: suggest a coffee or a walk after the activity.
- Remember names and a detail about each person; asking about it later shows interest.
- Be patient: real friendships usually take months, not weeks.
If you meet up with someone you met online
- Talk several times first, ideally on a video call.
- Choose a busy public place for the first meetup, and tell someone where you'll be.
- Get there and back on your own.
A way to start today
If you want to practice conversation or meet people from Chile from home, on Callumbra you can talk on video with real people from your browser. There's no city filter, but there is a country filter, so you can choose to talk with people from Chile.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to make friends in Santiago?
As in any big city, it's harder than in a small town because people already have their circle. What helps most is consistency: taking part in the same activity every week.