Lota

Lota's coal was worked from the middle of the nineteenth century by the Cousino family, and the workings ran out under the Pacific - miners walked kilometres out beneath the seabed to the face. The Chiflon del Diablo pit is now toured by former miners, who take visitors down and explain the work, which gives the visit a directness that a curated museum would not have. Above the town is Parque Isidora Cousino, laid out from the 1860s by Isidora Goyenechea with plants brought from Europe and Asia and statues along its paths. The mines closed in 1997 and the town has struggled badly since.

What you actually see

• A pit running under the sea - miners walking out beneath the seabed.
• Tours given by former miners - the men who worked the face.
• Parque Isidora Cousino - laid out from the 1860s above the pits.
• A town after closure - the mines shut in 1997.

When to go

December to March. A full day.

Honest expectations

The mine tour goes underground in a working-condition shaft - it is cramped, dark and not for the claustrophobic. Lota is a poor town and looks it. Tour times are limited. The park has suffered from earthquake damage and funding gaps.

Nearby

Concepcion is north; Canete and the coast run south.