Some Places to Visit

The city of Concepción was founded by Pedro de Valdivia in the year 1550. Ever since its first foundation, the city has grown more than Mr. de Valdivia himself could have ever imagined.

Concepción is nowadays the second largest conurbation of our country, constituted by the municipalities of Concepción, Talcahuano, San Pedro de la Paz, Hualpén, Chiguayante, Penco, Tomé, Lota, Coronel and Hualqui. Therefore there are plenty of places to visit in the center of the city and its surroundings as well. If you are considering to come to our city, here is a list of some of the places you will certainly find interesting and worthy of visiting.

·         The fishing cove of Lenga: located in Hualpén, this place is great for the gastronomic tasting of fish and shellfish. Nevertheless, not everything in Lenga is about the food. Hiking and water sports like kitesurf, windsurf and sailing are also a possibility, along with visiting the Estuary of Lenga, the habitat of wild birds like black-necked swan, coscoroba swan, cormorant, coot and pelicans.

·         Ironclad Huáscar: nowadays a museum located in Talcahuano, this former Peruvian warship was captured by the Chilean navy in the year 1879 during the War of the Pacific. Currently is one of the most appreciated historical relics of our navy.

·         Alessandri Park: the Parque Educativo Jorge Alessandri, founded on the year 1993, is located in Coronel. It counts with a wide variety of native wildlife and expositions. The admission is free of charge and it is open from Tuesday to Sunday.

·         Stom Museum: located in Chiguayante, this museum has collections of objects related to Chilean ethnic groups, history, optics and sound, and Mapuche silverwork.

·         Lota touristic circuit: this includes tours to the places of historical interest of Lota, the greatest coal mining city of our country during the 19^th century. There you can visit the History Museum of Lota, the buildings where the miners used to live, the Chiflón del Diablo mine and the Isidora Cousiño Park; all places related to the rich mining economy and social atmosphere of the 19^th century Chile.

·         Tomé: in its entire coast, Tomé offers several beaches of white sands and fishing coves, great places for tasting delicious fish and shellfish dishes.

·         Laguna Grande: located in San Pedro de la Paz. Although this lake is not suitable for swimming, it is the ideal place for water sports like kayak, sailing and rowing (there even is a rowing club that has won prizes in national and international competitions). Also, it is a beautiful spot for hiking and it is relatively close to the Amphitheater of San Pedro, where big musical and cultural events are held.

·         University of Concepción’s Campus: also called University City, this place is the cultural cradle of the region. Here you can see the different museums, sculptures, parks and squares. The most iconic buildings of the campus are the University of Concepción Arch (Arco Universidad de Concepción or Arco de Medicina) and the bell tower (Campanil).

Hope you have enjoyed reading this article! J

By Rocío Viveros Ibáñez.