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ABOUT CAJON DEL MAIPO  - Compliments of chile.travel, the official travel guide to Chile

An Oasis Just Outside Santiago

As you travel along Route G-25, you will become hypnotized by views of the Andes. The mountains begin to surround you just 15 km southeast of Santiago, past the municipality of La Florida, on a road that winds and ascends alongside the Maipo River.

The Cajón de Maipo has become an oasis for capital dwellers seeking fresh air and a respite from the bustle of the city. As if by magic, small mountain communities begin to appear just a few kilometers from Santiago, offering peace, a chance to connect with nature, traditional Chilean fare, and, if you enjoy outdoor activities, opportunities to practice adventure sports.

As you travel from west to east, you’ll come across small country towns like Las Vertientes (home to a number of inns with swimming pools), El Manzano (offering terrific picnic areas), and San José de Maipo (the main town in the Cajón, filled with adobe houses and located not far from the Lagunillas Ski Center). Father along, in San Alfonso, you’ll find top-shelf adventure tourism operators who organize Level 3 and 4 rafting trips down the Maipo River.

El Morado Natural Monument: The Andes at Your Fingertips

You’ll find El Morado at the end of the road that crosses the Cajón del Maipo (G-25), just 93 km from Santiago. This mountainous 3000-plus hectare reserve will give you stunning views of the Andes and a chance to do some mountain climbing, trekking, horseback riding and camping under the stars at an altitude of 2000 meters.

The best time to visit the area is between October and March, when the weather conditions are favorable and you can drive up to Baños Morales, which is just before El Morado. The site is protected and administered by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF). The best known of the area’s hiking trails leads to the Morales Lagoon and the beginning of the San Francisco Glacier 8 km away. The trek is about three hours each way.

If the mountains are more your thing, climb Mirador del Morado (4320 m), San Francisco (4320 m, includes ice climbing) and El Morado (5060 m, a hard, mixed climb). Visitors are urged not to make these ascents alone, and there are plenty of local guides and tour companies on hand to accompany you.

If you enjoy observing local flora and fauna, the El Morado National Monument will take your breath away. It is home to over 300 endangered plant species from the Andean sclerophyllous scrub forest as well as mammals such as the cururo and the silky mouse of Noah and birds such as the yal, cometocino, golden chirihue, black goldfinch, giant hummingbird, Andean hummingbird and the king of the skies, the mighty condor.

El Morado is the perfect place to enjoy adventure sports and learn about Chile’s natural surroundings in a single spot.