At first Illapel was founded in 1752, but then it was relocated in another place. In 1788 the re-foundation of Illapel was ordered at the place where is currently located, with the aim of benefiting the miners and landowners of the valley. Currently Illapel survives from agriculture and small-scale mining.


Illapel is a very active city, where traditions and its major archeological sites are the city’s landmarks, besides the colonial constructions.

In one visit to Illapel you will able to see the Arms Square (Plaza de Armas), in front of the Municipality (Municipalidad), a beautiful building with colonial style. It also stand out the Villarroel House (Casa Villarroel), the Mirador Houses (Casas del Mirador) and the La Puntilla Houses (Casas de La Puntilla).

Visiting Illapel can be part of a complete trip to get close to the inland valley areas of the Illapel river. It’s a circuit of 65.8 miles round trip from the Pan-American (Panamericana) through a paved road.

Locate mile 0 at the detour to Illapel (1.8 miles north of Los Vilos) that runs next to the Conchalí marsh, and crosses a landscape a bit cultivated, and at mile 5.5 you will find the fertile valley and Pupío marsh, visited often as a countryside trip from Los Vilos. The road encloses and winds next to the Cavilolén marsh.

At mile 13.6 starts the Cavilolén hill (Cerro Cavilolén), of 2.4 miles of extension, with magnificent views towards the inland areas of Choapa and Illapel valleys. The downhill is of 3.7 miles and it’s called Las Cañas hill (Cerro Las Cañas). The railroad lines cross these hills through a long tunnel. At mile 21.7 a road goes to La Ligua. At mile 25.4 it crosses the Choapa river through the Confluencia bridge (Puente Confluencia). After 2.4 miles there’s a detour that goes towards the coast through Mincha running next to the Choapa river (Río Choapa).

In front of the railroad crossing there’s an entrance of 656 feet that takes you to the Peral Houses (Casas del Peral), a nice rural construction from 1780, belonging to the big Choapa ranch. It’s structured over the base of two patios: one for ranch work and another for domestic activities.

At mile 29.8 you will pass in front of Cuz Cuz that means wild cat. It’s a beautiful village of Diaguita origin and main center of the prehispanic settlement. Here you find the Tallar Taucán, a cultural center with ethnic musicology courses that counts with an exhibition hall to show the handicrafts and products of the valley.

At mile 32.9 you will enter Illapel that means gold arrow with a population of 22.413 and an altitude of 1148 feet. Illapel is a flourishing city full of traditions and enchantment, located on a plain and enclosed by hills and the Illapel river; Illapel is the capital of the Province. Illapel was founded in 1752 in another place, which had a short life. In 1788, Ambrosio O'Higgins, in a reconnaissance trip to Copiapó, ordered the re-foundation to the benefit of the miners and landowners.

Illapel had its peak during the XIX century, due to the mining, cattle and agriculture exploitation that was exported through Los Vilos utilizing the railroad built in 1888 from Salamanca. Currently, Illapel survives on agriculture, services and small-scale mining.

In order to see in one visit the city of Illapel, it’s recommended to leave the car at the square to visit the Municipality (Municipalidad), a restored building with colonial style. Its neighboring streets maintain the beautiful houses from last century XIX, of one floor with stone foundations and adobe walls that enclosed the interior patios. The Villarroel House is a landmark in Illapel, from approximately 1780, located at the O'Higgins street corner with Recabarren.

Go further by car trough Independencia street towards the West, where you will see the Mirador Houses, from the last years of the XVIII century, a beautiful example of rural construction, originally of three parts built around a big patio, it belonged initially to María de Ahumada. Then cross the city of Illapel, to get out using a 0.62 miles road to Combarbalá until the La Puntilla Houses, built approximately in 1780. These are solid constructions of adobe with buttresses; today houses a school.

To finish the trip around Illapel, keep on going up through the Av. Ignacio Silva until Quillaicillo, where you can see the entire city of Illapel and its attractive surroundings.