San Fernando is located next to Pan-American highway and has about 45 000 inhabitants. It was founded in 1742 as Villa de San Fernando de Tinguiririca.  Is a services city for surrounding agricultural area  and for Colchagua valley. Located 141 kilometers south from Santiago of Chile.

There you can visit San Francisco church, unusual architecture and declared a National Monument, the main square, the Neandro Schilling lyceum and the Government of Colchagua. You can also discover Lircunlauta ranch, a house that belonged to Juan Jiménez de Leon, who donated the land on which stands the city and was declared a National Monument and Hijas de la Caridad de San Vicente de Paul chapel, built between 1884 and 1899.

On San Fernando outskirts you can discover Los Lingues ranch, which ancient artifacts and a chapel.

How to get there

By Bus. Buses daily depart from Santiago.

By Car. From Santiago, on 5 sur route.

Attractions and Activities

San Juan de Dios chapel is a National Monument building dates from the mid-nineteenth century and whose works were temporarily unfinished by lack of resources.

In 1872  arrived at San Fernando an eight sisters group of Hijas de la Caridad Congregation to organize a hospital. In 1878, under Sister Julia tutelage, expands its construction. In 1884, with funds donated by Mrs. Mercedes Gomez, started building the present chapel, which was fully completed in 1889.

It is built of finely carved brick with all top edge and cornices forming a delicate filigree. To visit it you must obtain keys at Hijas de la Caridad community on front of chapel.

The church and cloister of San Francisco in San Fernando is a National Monument that has its origins in 1744 when Jesuit missionaries raise their mission house. In 1755 begins a new larger church. Finally, in 1891 the old building is demolished and present construction began.

It consists of three naves separated by two arches that mark central nave of 8 meters wide, plus two 4 meters wide lateral navess that are circulation spaces that finish in two altars and a 32 meters height tower.

Lircunlauta house is a typical colonial architecture building built in the eighteenth century on land belonging to Lircunlauta ranch.

It belonged to Juan Jimenez de Leon, a character who donated  450 squares of land to found the city. This house has a central core that encloses a large courtyard surrounded by corridors and open backyard. Adjacent to north of the property is located warehouses and work yards. Today this National Monument is being restored to become a museum.

In Chimbarongo, a village located parallel to 5 sur route and has an interesting church. Its main attraction is wicker crafts and forniture, a tradition that was born in 1920.

This town offer furniture, baskets, and other objects in artisans workshops that demonstrate their skill in handling this material.

Nancagua is located a few kilometers west of Chimbarongo. It is characterized by an old manor house with a large park and Nuestra Señora de la Merced church.

Chepica is a town with a long street that include San Antonio de Padua church and a beautiful square surrounded by large trees.

La Lajuela is a small village close to Santa Cruz, 8 kilometers south of this city. It is characterized by hats and other articles made of teatina production, a vegetable fiber, which is stained and dried to be woven by hand.

The Del Flaco hotsprings is an important thermal center in Chile that is located 75 kilometers east of San Fernando and is surrounded by beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. Del Flaco hotsprings are nestled in the heart of Andean area, near to Tinguiririca river, and 172 meters above sea level. On this spa can enjoy relaxing at hotsprings pools that are in area. These waters offer therapeutic properties for all types of diseases, especially rheumatic pains.

Del Flaco hotsprings also offers excursions to discover central Chile culture as De las Damas pass, Maule lagoon and other places.