Curicó

Curicó (population 157,876) is 195 kilometers south of Santiago [1] via the Panamericana. Like many colonial Chilean cities, its core is a rectangle seven blocks square, centered on the Plaza de Armas.

In some ways a model garden city—or at least known as one for its magnificently landscaped Plaza de Armas—Curicó has recently undertaken a major street-tree planting program. The surrounding area is known for its wineries and for Reserva Nacional Radal Siete Tazas [2], a small but interesting park in the Andean foothills.

Like many other central valley towns, San José de Buena Vista de Curicó owes its origins to a military base intended to protect settlers on the colonial frontier. Founded in 1743, along with Rancagua [3] and San Fernando [4], by José Antonio Manso de Velasco, the town center was moved a few years later when the original site proved prone to flooding from the Río Guaiquillo.

Getting There

Most long-distance buses have their own offices; fares to Santiago (2.5 hours) are about US$5.50. Carriers include Pullman del Sur (Av. Camilo Henríquez between Carmen and Membrillar, tel. 075/310387), four blocks north of the plaza; Buses Lit (Av. Manso de Velasco and Buen Pastor, tel. 075/315648), four blocks south and three blocks west of the plaza; and Tur-Bus (Manso de Velasco 0106, tel. 075/312115), near the Panamericana.

A few long-distance carriers, plus regional and local buses, operate out of the Terminal de Buses Rurales (Montt and O’Higgins). Those serving Santiago include Andimar (tel. 075/312000), which also goes to Santa Cruz [5] and Pichilemu [6], and Talmocur (tel. 075/311360), which goes to Molina and Talca [7], the regional capital.

Transportation to Reserva Nacional Radal Siete Tazas leaves from nearby Molina.

EFE trains between Santiago and Talca [7], Chillán [8], Concepción [9], and Temuco [10] stop at Estación Curicó [11] (Maipú 657, tel. 075/310028), four blocks west of the Plaza de Armas.