Concon

Concon sits where the Aconcagua river meets the sea, and its best known feature is the dune field on the southern edge of town - a sand system climbing the coastal slope, protected as a natural sanctuary and squeezed hard by the apartment blocks that have been built up to and, in disputed cases, onto it. The town is also the eating stop of the coast: the caletas and the road above them are lined with places selling fried fish, empanadas de marisco and machas a la parmesana, and Chileans drive up from Santiago for that specifically. An oil refinery operates north of the town, which is the other half of the local economy.

History

Pedro de Valdivia first mentioned this place in 1541. Concón became a municipality in 1899, was joined to Viña del Mar in 1927, and a law of 1995 made it a municipality of its own again (Wikipedia, Concón).

What's there

• A dune field on the town edge - protected, and under building pressure.
• Fried fish and shellfish - the reason Santiago drives up.
• The Aconcagua river mouth - where the valley reaches the sea.
• A refinery to the north - the town's other industry.

When to go

Year round; weekends are when the eating places are at their busiest. Half a day.

Practical notes

The dunes are damaged and encroached on, which is visible. The refinery is a large presence. Restaurants are crowded at weekends and prices have risen. Sea fog is common in the mornings.

Nearby

Renaca and Vina del Mar are south; Maitencillo and Zapallar are north.

Key facts