If you're adventurous, the inland areas of the Metropolitan and O'Higgins Regions will delight you with quite a few surprises. The Andean mountains and coastline are home to small towns, rivers and valleys in which modern life seems to give way to rural traditions.
Interested in exploring the Andes? Cajón del Maipo is your best option. Located just 15 km from the capital's La Florida district and southeast of the downtown area on route G-25, this canyon winds through Andean foothills and mountain slopes. You'll find plenty of accommodations, restaurants, extreme sports activities, hot springs and nature preserves like El Morado.
If you're more interested in learning about local culture, try Rancagua, the capital of the O'Higgins Region. Visit the former Sewell mining camp, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is buried so deep in the heart of the Andes that it has stairs instead of streets. Then head to Santa Cruz, where rural traditions prevail and it is not uncommon to see the locals sporting typical huaso costumes (Chilean cowboy gear).
Plan to stop in the colorful village of Pomaire, where craftspeople use greda, a type of clay, to create unique pots, cups, plates and small sculptures. Don't leave town without sampling the half-kilo empanadas, a true feast for food lovers.
Each of these excursions can be day-trips, but if you'd like to dig deeper into the secrets of the area's villages and valleys, you can find lodging in Cajón del Maipo and good hotels in Santa Cruz and some of the vineyards that form part of the Colchagua Valley Wine Route.
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Andes | El Morado | |
World Heritage - Sewell | San Francisco de los Andes | |
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SERVICIO NACIONAL DE TURISMO CHILE
Avenida Providencia 1550, Santiago Chile
Teléfonos: (56+2) 731 8336
Vea la página de Chile en TripAdvisor