The Southern Heartland

Besides Region V ( Valparaíso), the southern heartland consists of Region VI (Rancagua [1]), Region VII (Maule), and Region VIII (Biobío). This is wine country, with a great and growing density of vineyards, but its rugged coastline will appeal to surfers in particular.

Its real secret, though, is the Andean backcountry—if the cordillera from Rancagua [1] south past Curicó [2], Talca [3], and Chillán [4] were in North America or Europe, its mountain meadows and forests would swarm with hikers every summer. Instead, it gets just a handful of outdoor recreationists compared with the Sur Chico lake district, not to mention Patagonia’s Torres del Paine [5].