Andacollo

Andacollo has been mined since before the Spanish arrived and is still worked, with a large open pit above the town. Its other life is devotional: a wooden image of the Virgin, by tradition found in the hills by an indigenous man in the sixteenth century, is venerated here, and the Fiesta Grande around 26 December brings very large crowds - the figure usually given is around a hundred thousand - with the chinos dance societies performing in front of the basilica. The dance of the chinos, with its flutes and stepping, was inscribed on the UNESCO intangible heritage list in 2014. The basilica dates from 1893.

What you actually see

• A mining town still working - an open pit above the houses.
• The Fiesta Grande at the end of December - about a hundred thousand pilgrims.
• The chinos dance societies - on the UNESCO list since 2014.
• A basilica of 1893 - the focus of the pilgrimage.

When to go

Late December for the Fiesta Grande; year round for the town. A full day.

Honest expectations

During the festival the town is completely overwhelmed and accommodation is impossible - most people come for the day. Mining dust affects the town. Outside the festival there is little to see. This is a religious event, not a show.

Nearby

Coquimbo and La Serena are north-west; the Elqui valley is north.