Rancagua

The City of Rancagua has features of its own. It is known as the huaso community par excellence, as almost all its activities are closely related to the traditional rural tasks.

Nestled in the O’Higgins Region, it lies 87 kilometers away from the City of Santiago de Chile. It is connected to the latter and to other important cities in the country by Route 5, also known as Panamericana and by the Metrotren.

The city is accessed through the Panamerican Road while visitors may enjoy the vast valley formed by the Andes Mountain Range to the East and the Coast Mountain Range on the West. Wide avenues, a very good layout and a great deal of commercial activities during the day are the first impressions welcoming tourists on their first contact with the city. While touring around it, the main square stands out surrounded by the main public buildings in town and monuments commemorating the Rancagua exploits.

The City of Rancagua was the venue for the most heroic battle for Chilean Independence: the Disaster of Rancagua. In spite of its long-suffering defeat, the patriotism the citizens of Rancagua showed during epic times stands out today.

Walking down the streets lets us feel the pride of its present dwellers. On the other hand, a historic tour that includes Plaza de los Héroes (Heroes’ Square), the House of Culture, Calle del Estado (the State Street), the Regional Museum and Casa del Pilar takes us back to its glorious past.

Tourist activities have increased in the last few years. The annual calendar of activities organized in the city includes the National Rodeo Championship and the Huaso Festival, both of them held late in March; the October Fest, which commemorates the Battle of Rancagua and the foundation of the city in October; and the International Criollo Meeting in November.

Rancagua makes visitors feel like seeing it as well as experiencing it.