Concepcion

Touring the University of Concepcion, the University District, the Pinacoteca, Cerro Caracol and the Ecuador Park are some of the alternatives that


The capital of the Eighth Region (Region del Bio-Bio) and second-largest city of Chile, also called the Capital of Southern Chile, is attracting more and more visitors every year. That´s the result of great efforts as, together with the modern infrastructure, it was possible to conserve “green space”, such as the Parque Ecuador, the Bio Bio riverside, and the Cerro Caracol in and around the city. Concepcion is situated about 500 km to the south of Chile´s capital and can easily be reached by car, bus, plane, train, and a new highway. Concepcion has about 220.000 inhabitants. However, the whole area including the surrounding municipalities San Pedro, Chiguayante, Hualqui, Hualpen, Talcahuano, and San Vicente, has almost a million inhabitants.

Lifestyle in Concepcion - Chile
Clean and healthy oceanic air, Andean spring water, excellent fresh and healthy food, but also little traffic and stress, agreeable temperatures, and neither too arid summers nor too rainy winters make Concepcion and its surroundings a great place to live, work, and study.
Modern infrastructure such as an airport, hotels, universities, schools, convention centers, shopping centers, cinemas, a zoo, theaters, and special events like concerts of national and international artists and bands are only a small part of what the whole area offers. The nearby green parks and the coastline invite visitors to relax, and the low cost of living increases the quality of living clearly above the one of Chile´s capital.

As the inhabitants of Gran Concepción are divided into several municipalities (Concepción, Hualpén, Talcahuano, San Pedro, Penco, Chiguayante, Hualqui), a unique culture has risen as a mixture between the modern city and country life.

Culture and spare time in Concepcion
A symphony orchestra, alternative cinemas, theaters, music academies, but also courses for hobby painters can be found in the area.

Sports and outdoor activities in Concepcion
There is an open soccer stadium for several thousands of fans, basketball, rugby, and horseback riding clubs, an aviation club, a model aviation group, and a lot of biking, mountain bike, and mountaineering clubs have their offices in the city center.
As the Pacific ocean is only a few minutes away, people practice surfing, bodyboard, scuba diving, sailing, but also kite surfing has become a very popular hobby amongst the Penquistas.

Surroundings of Concepcion - Chile
The coastal towns and the nearby beaches, like Playa Blanca near Lota, can rapidly be reached by modern public busses. Many locals prefer to visit the beaches to the north of Concepción, such as Penco, Tome, Lirquen, and Dichato.

A must is the Peninsula of Hualpen with the Desembocadura where Bio-Bio, Chile´s broadest river, meets the Pacific Ocean. Within the park, which is called Pedro del Río Zanartu, a museum can be visited in which you find species from all over the world - even an Egyptian mummy is there.

Chome, located on the Peninsula as well, is a coastal village with a former whale factory. Scooba divers still find whale bones in that bay. Another place worth visiting is Ramuntcho, a white sanded bay with some beautiful rocks and caves where divers find unbelievable spots.

Only twenty minutes away from the city center is the Reserva Nonguen, a Natural Preserve where the Pudú (dwarf deer), the Rana de Darwin and several other endemic species can be found in the middle of the native forest. More crowded and less crowded beaches can be found to the south of the city, e.g.Playa Blanca between Coronel and Lota, two former black coal towns along the “Ruta del Carbon”. The “Chiflon del Diablo”black coal mine offers tours where shafts below the Pacific ocean are visited.
Towards the inland, dense forests and some small and medium- size winemakers can be found around the Itata Valley which can easily be reached on a modern highway.

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