The town’s architecture depicts a harmonious mix between old colonial houses and modern constructions, some of the declared national monuments, of great cultural and historical interest.

Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary and El Corazón Thermal Springs

The Sanctuary is located nearby the city of Los Andes in the Auco esplanade and from here you can see the whole Valley of Los Andes (Valle de Los Andes). This is a place of worship situated between large hills. In October of each year there’s a traditional pilgrimage, where more than 160 thousand persons come to worship the Chilean saint. The journey is 16.7 rough miles of walking, between the old Chacabuco ranch, owned by the Saint’s grandfather, to the Sanctuary of Saint Teresa. During this walk the faithful pray, sing and dance.

The Temple that was built here is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen, and the remains of the Carmelite religious woman who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and canonized in Rome in 1993 are kept in the Crypt. She became known as Saint Teresa of Los Andes.

This great spiritual center corresponds to a big project where, through the simplicity of its buildings, together with the beauty of the place, the virtues of Teresa de Los Andes are found here: simplicity, humility, happiness and peace.

The esplanade is reached via the route 60 towards Los Andes. But before reaching this city, you can take the detour on the left-hand side for the Tres Esquinas, to later take the San Martín Road.

In the other hand, the thermal facilities “El Corazón” are located at 4.3 miles of Los Andes at an altitude of 2,952 feet. Here there are thermal springs and a hotel that’s open all year round. The place has a restaurant famous for its international cuisine.
There are swimming pools with temperate water, a SPA with a swimming pool at 86° F, Jacuzzi at 95° F and bubbling beds. Its water springs from the live rock at 69º F.

The climate is dry, typical of the Andean foothills; therefore it can be visited at any time of the year. This thermal center is recommended for resting and natural revitalization.

Its waters are recommended for the treatment of respiratory disease, the nervous system, rheumatic pain, arthritis, mental fatigue, sleep disorders, back pain and sciatica.

The city of Los Andes has a population of 55,000 and an altitude of 2,690 feet. It was founded by a decree by Mr. Ambrosio O'Higgins on July, 31 of 1791, with the name of Santa Rosa de Los Andes. After six years it had 90 houses and 90 ranches and, in 1798, 849 inhabitants.

To visit the beautiful city of Los Andes, enter using Av. Santa Teresa, a beautiful street with oriental planetrees (plátanos orientales). Turn right on O'Higgins street until the square that it’s part of the Typical Zone (Zona Típica), declared around the historical center in the city. On its north side there’s the Government of Los Andes (Gobernación de Los Andes) building, declared national monument, and built between 1888 and 1891, with a neoclassic style. On the western side is the Saint Rosa Church (Iglesia Santa Rosa) that keeps a polychrome image of Saint Sebastián of Los Andes, a work of art by the Bavarian Jesuits of Calera de Tango dating to the XVII century.

Continue on Rancagua until Av. Argentina. Turn left on this one and continue until Av. Carlos Díaz. Make a right, go all the way until the end of the street where you will find the former Station built in 1954, for the Trans-Andean Railroad (Ferrocarril Trasandino) service. In its hall there’s a mural painting representing the friendship between Argentina and Chile, painted by the Chilean muralist Gregorio de la Fuente. Besides, there’s an art exhibits room. The building houses today the bus station.

In the Workshop of FEPASA (Maestranza de FEPASA [Av. Argentina 51]), the Chilean Association of Railway Legacy (Asociación Chilena del Patrimonio Ferroviario) is restoring the old machines, wagons and locomotives of the Trans-Andean Railroad to turn this place into a museum. It houses the Carril Gondola (Góndola Carril [a bus transformed into a railway wagon]), declared national monument.

Go South to get to the former Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Monasterio del Espíritu Santo), declared national monument, built between 1924 and 1925, and later restored in 1993. It’s an austere brick building, where Saint Teresa of Los Andes professed until her death. There are signs indicating the usage of the precincts. In the gardens there’s the grotto, which was the garden where she used to pray at and, in the Holy Spirit Church (Iglesia del Espíritu Santo), declared national monument, there’s the Lowe Choir (Coro Bajo) where the Carmelitas attended to mass behind curtains. This place was transformed into the former Monastery´s crypt (cripta del ex Monasterio); here lay the remains of Saint Teresa until 1987, when they were moved to Auco. The Monastery’s Museum of Religious History (Museo Histórico Religioso del Monasterio) is situated on the second floor. It exhibits photographs and clothing of the Saint and recreations of aspects of his Carmelite life as well. Visiting hours is from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket is $500.

In front of to the former monastery is the Museum of History and Archeology of Aconcagua (Museo Histórico y Arqueológico de Aconcagua). This museum was set up in an old house with many patios, and is home to a collection of ceramic and lithic objects from various cultures that occupied the Valley of Aconcagua. There are also arms and furniture from the Independence. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket is $500.

Go up walking or by car to The Virgin Hill (cerro de La Virgen), where New Year is celebrated along with fireworks. It has views to the city and the mountain range, where it stands out the La Mesa Hill (cerro La Mesa), with flat summit and an old indigenous sanctuary.

At General del Canto street, going towards Portillo, there’s the N°3 Yungay Reinforced Regiment Museum (Museo del Regimiento Reforzado N°3 Yungay). It was implemented in the year 2002 with contribution of the regiments of Infantry N°3 “Yungay” (San Felipe) and N°18 “Guardia Vieja”, when both merged. The remains of the patronymic hero of the unit lies here: Colonel Nicolás Maruri, who fought in the war for the Independence. It exhibits armament and clothing used in the War of the Pacific and different uniforms used by the institution during its history up to today. And it also shows the items used by the mountain troops, specialty that this unit currently performs. It operates at the regiment’s command. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 1 pm, and from 3 pm to 6 pm. Admission is free. Don’t leave without seeing one of the traditional ceramic factories located in the city.

There are 4 factories in Los Andes that elaborate practical and decorative hand-painted products. They all sell their products to the public, and show the process of modeling and painting. CALA, founded in 1948 by Italian ceramists, produces more than 200 different items with refined designs using the majolica technique of double firing. Cerámica Razeto (Razeto Ceramics) makes decorative and practical objects using the casting technique. Oropesa Ceramics (Cerámica Oropesa) makes typical Chilean figures using the burnished technique. Manque Ceramics (Cerámica Manque) produces enameled pieces.

There’s a permanent traffic of farmers to the cities, thus there are many restaurants offering their services, called “picadas” (local food at convenient prices), spread in the area. Some are formal, other have the rural enchant. All offer local food, specialized in a variety of pig dishes, with wine and grape wine (chicha) of the area. We’ll introduce the most famous ones.

Exit Los Andes (mile 47.8) towards the North. At 2.4 miles there’s San Esteban, a small rural town, where you can visit the San Esteban Vineyard (Viña San Esteban), its cellars and bottling plants, renewed in 1996, and an archeological site with petroglyphs inside the precincts. It has a sales room. Visiting hours are Monday from 2 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 am to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2:30 pm. The cost per group up to 10 persons is $2,000 each, and more than 10 persons $1,500 each. The visit to the petroglyphs is free. Tours can be arranged with previous reservation.

There’s also the San Regís House (Casa San Regís), which occupies the main building of the San Francisco de Regis ranch, a big colonial house with an imposing architecture, dating to the XVIII century, belonging to the family state Toro Mazóte. There’s lodging attended by its owners.

From San Esteban comes out a detour on the right towards the El Corazón Thermal Springs. Take it and you’ll pass by Cariño Botado, which was baptized with this name since once the town got ready to see the Liberator Army (Ejército Libertador) passing by, but it changed its route. On the road there’s the beautiful Country House (Casa de Campo), a place for social gatherings with good gastronomy. It’s the operational headquarters of Maitenes Expeditions (Maitenes Expediciones). Also there’s The Camellias nursery (vivero Las Camelias), with a magnificent collection of\camellias and cactus, among other interior and exterior species; it’s worth to visit, and it’s open all year round from 9 am to 9 pm.

At mile 54 you will get to Thermal Springs El Corazón (Termas El Corazón), at an altitude of 2,952 feet. There are thermal baths and a hotel, which is open all year round and it’s attended following the style of a family tradition of more than 50 years. It offers lodging in rooms, and modern suits with exclusive bath and bath tub with thermal water. There is a restaurant famous for its international cuisine, besides pools with temperate waters, a modern SPA with a swimming pool with a temperature at 86° F, a Jacuzzi, at 95° F, falls and bubbling beds. The El Corazón Thermal Springs enjoys a nice weather of the Andean foothills, dry type, and is much visited during high season. At the same place there’s the Bianchini Smoked and Dried Beef Factory (Fábrica de cecinas Bianchini), with a remarkable assortment of Italian type of smoked and dried beef Italian. It’s open all year round from 8 am to 10 pm. Its traditional restaurant offers great Italian and German food. Its cafeteria offers the traditional tea time with cakes and a great variety of smoked and dried beef, and hams. From San Esteban you can continue for 6.8 miles through the valley of the San Francisco marsh to visit the El Corazón Thermal Springs.

San Francisco de Los Andes is a native and private park of 21,003 acres near the San Francisco marsh, whose source is the Lagoon of Cruz del Padre (Laguna de la Cruz del Padre). About thirty ecological and adventure tourism trips are offered here such as horse riding, walking, sport fishing and fly-fishing, horse riding and paragliding classes. The activities are held during the day for all ages and physical conditions, plus there’s the option to enjoy a barbeque at midday.

San Francisco de Los Andes has a fishing lodge, astronomical observatory, center for relaxation (reiki, watsu and aromatherapy), and a horse breeding place called El Trapiche, with more than 300 specimens. At El Trapiche, you will be able to enjoy de activities related to horse breeding such as taming, movements with the reins tests and bow skills of the foremen. There’s a project of developing a Private Ski Center here with three ski lifts, at a similar altitude than Portillo’s. It also has a good restaurant with meat grilled on a disk and local food specialties. Visiting hours are from September to March, from 8 am to 8:30 pm; from April to August, from 8 am to 4 pm. Reservations must be made for the restaurant.

Continuing 1.5 miles more from the entry to San Francisco de Los Andes, you will get to the Lodge & Resort Nevados de San Esteban. Here, in 51.8 acres, we have a harmonious eco-tourism complex. It offers lodging in Swiss alpine type of bungalows with excellent comfort, good level restaurant and bar, events room, covered and temperate swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, mini-golf, horse riding and walking.

Detour to El Arpa Ski Center
Located at 26.7 miles to the north of Los Andes, the first 9.3 miles are a paved road and then it becomes a winding ground road that goes up from to the area of Campos de Ahumada to the ski center. It was recently constructed, and it has basic facilities, nevertheless there are ample areas for skiing with virgin snow and great potential for developing all type of mountain activities such as snowboard, skiing out of the mountain, randonee skiing and excursions.

It counts with a shelter (with no lodging), where there’s a cafeteria and equipment for rent. Besides, it has two snow machines that transport the skiers up to the ample peak of the Alto Valley (Valle Alto), at 12,270 feet of altitude, since there’s no ski lift. From there, during clear days, the entire Aconcagua hill can be appreciated

It has intermediate and high difficulty tracks, which are recommended for skiers with experience. Among the many areas suitable for skiing, there are the El Diablo Negro hillside, of hundreds of feet of length and a big slope, recommended for experts, and the El Arpa Gore (Quebrada El Arpa), with a longitude of almost 2.4 miles going down in straight line for skiers of medium level skills. The trip up on the snow machine costs $9,000 per skier, minimum six persons. Complete equipment rental is $5.000. It’s open from Thursday to Sunday, from 8 am to 5 pm, and from Monday to Wednesday only with previous reservations.

The road that gets to the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary, to San Felipe and Curimón. It’s a trip along a fertile farm land, with vineyards, old towns, colonial churches and the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary. It’s 161.5 miles on a paved road, round trip, for all seasons.

Get out of Santiago using route 57 to Los Andes. The stretch until the Chacabuco tunnel is described in the Trip 1. After going down, behind the tunnel (mile 39.1) there’s the crossing on the left, towards the Rinconada and San Felipe (mile 42.8). Take it and go on during a short stretch until the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary, a worship place among big hills where more than 500 thousand pilgrims come annually to venerate the first Chilean Saint. Its temple is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen and in the Crypt there are the remains of the Carmelita religious woman, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Chile in 1987 and canonized in Rome on March 21, 1993, to get to be known with the name of Saint Teresa of Los Andes. Inside the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary precincts is the Barefoot Carmelite Nuns Convent (Monasterio de las Madres Carmelitanas Descalzas), moved from Los Andes. For the centenary of its birth (2000) the Carmelite Spiritual Center-Retirement House (Centro Espiritual Carmelita-Casa de Retiros) and the Via Crucis in the hillsides of Monte Carmelo were inaugurated. Masses are held during summer from Monday to Friday at 8 am in the monastery and at 12 pm in the temple, Saturday at 8 am, 10:30 am, 12 pm and 5 pm, Sunday at 8 am, 9:30 am, 11 am, 12:30 pm and 5 pm. During Winter the mass of 5 pm it’s held at 4 pm. During religious festivities there are masses at additional schedules.

Go back to the main road and continue North among beautiful landscapes with fruit plantations, mainly vineyards that during Fall acquire great color. You’ll pass by Rinconada, with its picturesque adobe houses bordering the street. In town there’s the Vineyard of the Monastery (Viña del Monasterio), restaurant with typical food located in an old house that counts with cellars of a vineyard where a Wine Museum (Museo del Vino) has been created with used items in wine traditional manufacturing. It has an event, sales and tasting rooms for its own wines. It’s open from January to March, from Tuesday to Thursday, from 9 am to 6 pm; Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm; Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. At mile 52.8 you’ll get to the crossing on the right –indicating the road to Los Andes-; take it and in 3.1 miles, you’ll get to the village Curimón where there’s the Franciscan Convent and Museum of Curimon (Convento y Museo Franciscano de Curimon), declared national monument.

It was founded by the Franciscans, who arrived to Chile per the petition of Pedro de Valdivia to the king Carlos V, with the aim of evangelizing the native population. In 1553 five missioners arrived and, on October 3, they founded the first convent in Santiago. In 1583 the one in Curimón was inaugurated.

The actual construction work started around 1713; the convent was finished in 1727, and was dedicated to Santa Rosa de Viterbo. Its styles are pure colonial and it has an interior patio with corridors towards the rooms. The current museum, open in 1966, has paintings, colonial imagery, wood carvings, sacerdotal tunics and documents regarding the history of the Franciscan order in Chile.

Here, Manso de Velasco signed the act of foundation of the city of San Felipe el Real, in 1740. Then, under the shadow of its old pepper trees (pimientos) rested the patriot soldiers that crossed the Andes, before the Battle of Chacabuco. The church, finished in 1727, it has large proportions. It has big adobe walls up to 3.2 feet of width. Its huge buttresses have made her stayed standing after the earthquakes that have occurred in the region. The current tower is a piece of work by the architect Fermín Vivaceta and dates from 1870. Visiting hours are all year round, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket costs $500, children $300.

Go back using the same road to Rinconada and continue North to get at mile 62 to the city of San Felipe El Real, with a population of 50,524 and an altitude of 2,132 feet. It’s one of the most important cities of the valley. The religious priests from the Merced order settled in the valley in 1687, on lands donated by Andrés Toro Mazotte; then these also donated the lands so that Manso de Velasco could found the Villa de San Felipe El Real, on August, 3 of 1740, with the purpose of congregating the spread population of the ranches in order to receive the “Christian doctrine instruction to the youth, and reading and writing” and instruction in all of the primary schooling “agreeable with social and political standing”. In the La Merced small square (plazuela La Merced), a belfry it’s a reminder of he convent and church destroyed by the 1965 earthquake. The farmers and agriculturists of the area come here to get supplies, which causes a constant movement.

Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary and El Corazón Thermal Springs

The Sanctuary is located nearby the city of Los Andes in the Auco esplanade and from here you can see the whole Valley of Los Andes (Valle de Los Andes). This is a place of worship situated between large hills. In October of each year there’s a traditional pilgrimage, where more than 160 thousand persons come to worship the Chilean saint. The journey is 16.7 rough miles of walking, between the old Chacabuco ranch, owned by the Saint’s grandfather, to the Sanctuary of Saint Teresa. During this walk the faithful pray, sing and dance.

The Temple that was built here is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen, and the remains of the Carmelite religious woman who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and canonized in Rome in 1993 are kept in the Crypt. She became known as Saint Teresa of Los Andes.

This great spiritual center corresponds to a big project where, through the simplicity of its buildings, together with the beauty of the place, the virtues of Teresa de Los Andes are found here: simplicity, humility, happiness and peace.

The esplanade is reached via the route 60 towards Los Andes. But before reaching this city, you can take the detour on the left-hand side for the Tres Esquinas, to later take the San Martín Road.

In the other hand, the thermal facilities “El Corazón” are located at 4.3 miles of Los Andes at an altitude of 2,952 feet. Here there are thermal springs and a hotel that’s open all year round. The place has a restaurant famous for its international cuisine.
There are swimming pools with temperate water, a SPA with a swimming pool at 86° F, Jacuzzi at 95° F and bubbling beds. Its water springs from the live rock at 69º F.

The climate is dry, typical of the Andean foothills; therefore it can be visited at any time of the year. This thermal center is recommended for resting and natural revitalization.

Its waters are recommended for the treatment of respiratory disease, the nervous system, rheumatic pain, arthritis, mental fatigue, sleep disorders, back pain and sciatica.

The city of Los Andes has a population of 55,000 and an altitude of 2,690 feet. It was founded by a decree by Mr. Ambrosio O'Higgins on July, 31 of 1791, with the name of Santa Rosa de Los Andes. After six years it had 90 houses and 90 ranches and, in 1798, 849 inhabitants.

To visit the beautiful city of Los Andes, enter using Av. Santa Teresa, a beautiful street with oriental planetrees (plátanos orientales). Turn right on O'Higgins street until the square that it’s part of the Typical Zone (Zona Típica), declared around the historical center in the city. On its north side there’s the Government of Los Andes (Gobernación de Los Andes) building, declared national monument, and built between 1888 and 1891, with a neoclassic style. On the western side is the Saint Rosa Church (Iglesia Santa Rosa) that keeps a polychrome image of Saint Sebastián of Los Andes, a work of art by the Bavarian Jesuits of Calera de Tango dating to the XVII century.

Continue on Rancagua until Av. Argentina. Turn left on this one and continue until Av. Carlos Díaz. Make a right, go all the way until the end of the street where you will find the former Station built in 1954, for the Trans-Andean Railroad (Ferrocarril Trasandino) service. In its hall there’s a mural painting representing the friendship between Argentina and Chile, painted by the Chilean muralist Gregorio de la Fuente. Besides, there’s an art exhibits room. The building houses today the bus station.

In the Workshop of FEPASA (Maestranza de FEPASA [Av. Argentina 51]), the Chilean Association of Railway Legacy (Asociación Chilena del Patrimonio Ferroviario) is restoring the old machines, wagons and locomotives of the Trans-Andean Railroad to turn this place into a museum. It houses the Carril Gondola (Góndola Carril [a bus transformed into a railway wagon]), declared national monument.

Go South to get to the former Monastery of the Holy Spirit (Monasterio del Espíritu Santo), declared national monument, built between 1924 and 1925, and later restored in 1993. It’s an austere brick building, where Saint Teresa of Los Andes professed until her death. There are signs indicating the usage of the precincts. In the gardens there’s the grotto, which was the garden where she used to pray at and, in the Holy Spirit Church (Iglesia del Espíritu Santo), declared national monument, there’s the Lowe Choir (Coro Bajo) where the Carmelitas attended to mass behind curtains. This place was transformed into the former Monastery´s crypt (cripta del ex Monasterio); here lay the remains of Saint Teresa until 1987, when they were moved to Auco. The Monastery’s Museum of Religious History (Museo Histórico Religioso del Monasterio) is situated on the second floor. It exhibits photographs and clothing of the Saint and recreations of aspects of his Carmelite life as well. Visiting hours is from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket is $500.

In front of to the former monastery is the Museum of History and Archeology of Aconcagua (Museo Histórico y Arqueológico de Aconcagua). This museum was set up in an old house with many patios, and is home to a collection of ceramic and lithic objects from various cultures that occupied the Valley of Aconcagua. There are also arms and furniture from the Independence. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket is $500.

Go up walking or by car to The Virgin Hill (cerro de La Virgen), where New Year is celebrated along with fireworks. It has views to the city and the mountain range, where it stands out the La Mesa Hill (cerro La Mesa), with flat summit and an old indigenous sanctuary.

At General del Canto street, going towards Portillo, there’s the N°3 Yungay Reinforced Regiment Museum (Museo del Regimiento Reforzado N°3 Yungay). It was implemented in the year 2002 with contribution of the regiments of Infantry N°3 “Yungay” (San Felipe) and N°18 “Guardia Vieja”, when both merged. The remains of the patronymic hero of the unit lies here: Colonel Nicolás Maruri, who fought in the war for the Independence. It exhibits armament and clothing used in the War of the Pacific and different uniforms used by the institution during its history up to today. And it also shows the items used by the mountain troops, specialty that this unit currently performs. It operates at the regiment’s command. Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 1 pm, and from 3 pm to 6 pm. Admission is free. Don’t leave without seeing one of the traditional ceramic factories located in the city.

There are 4 factories in Los Andes that elaborate practical and decorative hand-painted products. They all sell their products to the public, and show the process of modeling and painting. CALA, founded in 1948 by Italian ceramists, produces more than 200 different items with refined designs using the majolica technique of double firing. Cerámica Razeto (Razeto Ceramics) makes decorative and practical objects using the casting technique. Oropesa Ceramics (Cerámica Oropesa) makes typical Chilean figures using the burnished technique. Manque Ceramics (Cerámica Manque) produces enameled pieces.

There’s a permanent traffic of farmers to the cities, thus there are many restaurants offering their services, called “picadas” (local food at convenient prices), spread in the area. Some are formal, other have the rural enchant. All offer local food, specialized in a variety of pig dishes, with wine and grape wine (chicha) of the area. We’ll introduce the most famous ones.

Exit Los Andes (mile 47.8) towards the North. At 2.4 miles there’s San Esteban, a small rural town, where you can visit the San Esteban Vineyard (Viña San Esteban), its cellars and bottling plants, renewed in 1996, and an archeological site with petroglyphs inside the precincts. It has a sales room. Visiting hours are Monday from 2 pm to 7 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 am to 7 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 2:30 pm. The cost per group up to 10 persons is $2,000 each, and more than 10 persons $1,500 each. The visit to the petroglyphs is free. Tours can be arranged with previous reservation.

There’s also the San Regís House (Casa San Regís), which occupies the main building of the San Francisco de Regis ranch, a big colonial house with an imposing architecture, dating to the XVIII century, belonging to the family state Toro Mazóte. There’s lodging attended by its owners.

From San Esteban comes out a detour on the right towards the El Corazón Thermal Springs. Take it and you’ll pass by Cariño Botado, which was baptized with this name since once the town got ready to see the Liberator Army (Ejército Libertador) passing by, but it changed its route. On the road there’s the beautiful Country House (Casa de Campo), a place for social gatherings with good gastronomy. It’s the operational headquarters of Maitenes Expeditions (Maitenes Expediciones). Also there’s The Camellias nursery (vivero Las Camelias), with a magnificent collection of\camellias and cactus, among other interior and exterior species; it’s worth to visit, and it’s open all year round from 9 am to 9 pm.

At mile 54 you will get to Thermal Springs El Corazón (Termas El Corazón), at an altitude of 2,952 feet. There are thermal baths and a hotel, which is open all year round and it’s attended following the style of a family tradition of more than 50 years. It offers lodging in rooms, and modern suits with exclusive bath and bath tub with thermal water. There is a restaurant famous for its international cuisine, besides pools with temperate waters, a modern SPA with a swimming pool with a temperature at 86° F, a Jacuzzi, at 95° F, falls and bubbling beds. The El Corazón Thermal Springs enjoys a nice weather of the Andean foothills, dry type, and is much visited during high season. At the same place there’s the Bianchini Smoked and Dried Beef Factory (Fábrica de cecinas Bianchini), with a remarkable assortment of Italian type of smoked and dried beef Italian. It’s open all year round from 8 am to 10 pm. Its traditional restaurant offers great Italian and German food. Its cafeteria offers the traditional tea time with cakes and a great variety of smoked and dried beef, and hams. From San Esteban you can continue for 6.8 miles through the valley of the San Francisco marsh to visit the El Corazón Thermal Springs.

San Francisco de Los Andes is a native and private park of 21,003 acres near the San Francisco marsh, whose source is the Lagoon of Cruz del Padre (Laguna de la Cruz del Padre). About thirty ecological and adventure tourism trips are offered here such as horse riding, walking, sport fishing and fly-fishing, horse riding and paragliding classes. The activities are held during the day for all ages and physical conditions, plus there’s the option to enjoy a barbeque at midday.

San Francisco de Los Andes has a fishing lodge, astronomical observatory, center for relaxation (reiki, watsu and aromatherapy), and a horse breeding place called El Trapiche, with more than 300 specimens. At El Trapiche, you will be able to enjoy de activities related to horse breeding such as taming, movements with the reins tests and bow skills of the foremen. There’s a project of developing a Private Ski Center here with three ski lifts, at a similar altitude than Portillo’s. It also has a good restaurant with meat grilled on a disk and local food specialties. Visiting hours are from September to March, from 8 am to 8:30 pm; from April to August, from 8 am to 4 pm. Reservations must be made for the restaurant.

Continuing 1.5 miles more from the entry to San Francisco de Los Andes, you will get to the Lodge & Resort Nevados de San Esteban. Here, in 51.8 acres, we have a harmonious eco-tourism complex. It offers lodging in Swiss alpine type of bungalows with excellent comfort, good level restaurant and bar, events room, covered and temperate swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, mini-golf, horse riding and walking.

Detour to El Arpa Ski Center
Located at 26.7 miles to the north of Los Andes, the first 9.3 miles are a paved road and then it becomes a winding ground road that goes up from to the area of Campos de Ahumada to the ski center. It was recently constructed, and it has basic facilities, nevertheless there are ample areas for skiing with virgin snow and great potential for developing all type of mountain activities such as snowboard, skiing out of the mountain, randonee skiing and excursions.

It counts with a shelter (with no lodging), where there’s a cafeteria and equipment for rent. Besides, it has two snow machines that transport the skiers up to the ample peak of the Alto Valley (Valle Alto), at 12,270 feet of altitude, since there’s no ski lift. From there, during clear days, the entire Aconcagua hill can be appreciated

It has intermediate and high difficulty tracks, which are recommended for skiers with experience. Among the many areas suitable for skiing, there are the El Diablo Negro hillside, of hundreds of feet of length and a big slope, recommended for experts, and the El Arpa Gore (Quebrada El Arpa), with a longitude of almost 2.4 miles going down in straight line for skiers of medium level skills. The trip up on the snow machine costs $9,000 per skier, minimum six persons. Complete equipment rental is $5.000. It’s open from Thursday to Sunday, from 8 am to 5 pm, and from Monday to Wednesday only with previous reservations.

The road that gets to the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary, to San Felipe and Curimón. It’s a trip along a fertile farm land, with vineyards, old towns, colonial churches and the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary. It’s 161.5 miles on a paved road, round trip, for all seasons.

Get out of Santiago using route 57 to Los Andes. The stretch until the Chacabuco tunnel is described in the Trip 1. After going down, behind the tunnel (mile 39.1) there’s the crossing on the left, towards the Rinconada and San Felipe (mile 42.8). Take it and go on during a short stretch until the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary, a worship place among big hills where more than 500 thousand pilgrims come annually to venerate the first Chilean Saint. Its temple is dedicated to the Virgin of Carmen and in the Crypt there are the remains of the Carmelita religious woman, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Chile in 1987 and canonized in Rome on March 21, 1993, to get to be known with the name of Saint Teresa of Los Andes. Inside the Saint Teresa of Los Andes Sanctuary precincts is the Barefoot Carmelite Nuns Convent (Monasterio de las Madres Carmelitanas Descalzas), moved from Los Andes. For the centenary of its birth (2000) the Carmelite Spiritual Center-Retirement House (Centro Espiritual Carmelita-Casa de Retiros) and the Via Crucis in the hillsides of Monte Carmelo were inaugurated. Masses are held during summer from Monday to Friday at 8 am in the monastery and at 12 pm in the temple, Saturday at 8 am, 10:30 am, 12 pm and 5 pm, Sunday at 8 am, 9:30 am, 11 am, 12:30 pm and 5 pm. During Winter the mass of 5 pm it’s held at 4 pm. During religious festivities there are masses at additional schedules.

Go back to the main road and continue North among beautiful landscapes with fruit plantations, mainly vineyards that during Fall acquire great color. You’ll pass by Rinconada, with its picturesque adobe houses bordering the street. In town there’s the Vineyard of the Monastery (Viña del Monasterio), restaurant with typical food located in an old house that counts with cellars of a vineyard where a Wine Museum (Museo del Vino) has been created with used items in wine traditional manufacturing. It has an event, sales and tasting rooms for its own wines. It’s open from January to March, from Tuesday to Thursday, from 9 am to 6 pm; Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 11 pm; Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. At mile 52.8 you’ll get to the crossing on the right –indicating the road to Los Andes-; take it and in 3.1 miles, you’ll get to the village Curimón where there’s the Franciscan Convent and Museum of Curimon (Convento y Museo Franciscano de Curimon), declared national monument.

It was founded by the Franciscans, who arrived to Chile per the petition of Pedro de Valdivia to the king Carlos V, with the aim of evangelizing the native population. In 1553 five missioners arrived and, on October 3, they founded the first convent in Santiago. In 1583 the one in Curimón was inaugurated.

The actual construction work started around 1713; the convent was finished in 1727, and was dedicated to Santa Rosa de Viterbo. Its styles are pure colonial and it has an interior patio with corridors towards the rooms. The current museum, open in 1966, has paintings, colonial imagery, wood carvings, sacerdotal tunics and documents regarding the history of the Franciscan order in Chile.

Here, Manso de Velasco signed the act of foundation of the city of San Felipe el Real, in 1740. Then, under the shadow of its old pepper trees (pimientos) rested the patriot soldiers that crossed the Andes, before the Battle of Chacabuco. The church, finished in 1727, it has large proportions. It has big adobe walls up to 3.2 feet of width. Its huge buttresses have made her stayed standing after the earthquakes that have occurred in the region. The current tower is a piece of work by the architect Fermín Vivaceta and dates from 1870. Visiting hours are all year round, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. The admission ticket costs $500, children $300.

Go back using the same road to Rinconada and continue North to get at mile 62 to the city of San Felipe El Real, with a population of 50,524 and an altitude of 2,132 feet. It’s one of the most important cities of the valley. The religious priests from the Merced order settled in the valley in 1687, on lands donated by Andrés Toro Mazotte; then these also donated the lands so that Manso de Velasco could found the Villa de San Felipe El Real, on August, 3 of 1740, with the purpose of congregating the spread population of the ranches in order to receive the “Christian doctrine instruction to the youth, and reading and writing” and instruction in all of the primary schooling “agreeable with social and political standing”. In the La Merced small square (plazuela La Merced), a belfry it’s a reminder of he convent and church destroyed by the 1965 earthquake. The farmers and agriculturists of the area come here to get supplies, which causes a constant movement.