Los Andes: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Los Andes is a working town at the foot of the pass, but it holds three stories most visitors miss: a teenage nun who became Chile's first saint, a young teacher who would win the Nobel Prize, and the railway that once climbed to Argentina. All three are within a few blocks of the square. About two and a half hours on foot, plus a short drive to the rock carvings. Summer afternoons are hot, so start in the morning.
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A short history of Los Andes
The valley of the Aconcagua River was inhabited by indigenous peoples even before the Inca arrived here in the 15th century, and their road crossed the Andes. The town itself was founded in 1791 by the governor Ambrosio O'Higgins, under the name Santa Rosa de Los Andes, as the last stop before the crossing into the mountains. In 1817 part of San Martín's Army of the Andes came down from the mountains here, on the campaign that liberated Chile. In 1910 the Transandine Railway opened, linking Los Andes with Mendoza in Argentina, and it ran until 1984. The nun Teresa of Los Andes, who in 1993 was declared Chile's first saint, lived and died in the town.
The ten best sights in Los Andes
1Plaza de ArmasThe shady main square with its palms and cafés; the town's meeting point
2Iglesia Santa Rosa de Los AndesThe parish church on the square
3Museo del Antiguo Convento del Espíritu SantoThe Carmelite convent where Saint Teresa of Los Andes lived and died; her cell is kept as it was
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4Museo Arqueológico de Los Andes
Pottery and tools of the valley's pre-Hispanic peoples, a block from the square
5Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los AndesBig modern sanctuary at Auco where the saint is buried; crowds on pilgrimage days
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6Parque Arqueológico Paidahuén
Hillside of rock carvings just north of town; go in the cool of the morning
7Museo Franciscano de CurimónOld adobe church and cloister with colonial religious art, 15 minutes west
8Plaza de Armas de San FelipeThe neighbouring city's square, laid out on a strict colonial grid
9Monumento a la Batalla de ChacabucoMemorial on the battlefield where Chile's independence was won, 25 minutes south
10Cerro La VirgenHill at the edge of town with a trail to the top and a view over the valley
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Los Andes →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Los Andes:
Free walking tours in Los Andes
Saint, poet and railway
Los Andes is a working town at the foot of the pass, but it holds three stories most visitors miss: a teenage nun who became Chile's first saint, a young teacher who would win the Nobel Prize, and the railway that once climbed to Argentina. All three are within a few blocks of the square. About two and a half hours on foot, plus a short drive to the rock carvings. Summer afternoons are hot, so start in the morning.
- Plaza de Armas · The town was founded in 1791 by the governor Ambrosio O'Higgins, an Irishman in Spanish service and the father of Bernardo O'Higgins, who would lead Chile to independence.
- Iglesia Santa Rosa de Los Andes · The town's original name was Villa Santa Rosa de Los Andes, after Saint Rose of Lima, the first saint of the Americas, and the parish church still carries her name.
- Museo del Antiguo Convento del Espíritu Santo · Juana Fernández Solar entered this Carmelite convent in 1919 and died of typhus in 1920, aged 19, as Sister Teresa of Jesus. In 1993 John Paul II made her Chile's first saint.
- Gabriela Mistral · Gabriela Mistral taught in Los Andes from 1912 to 1918, and while living here she won the 1914 Santiago poetry contest with her Sonnets of Death. In 1945 she became the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Los Andes Station · From 1910 the Transandine railway climbed from here over the Andes to Mendoza, using rack sections on the steepest grades. It was a dream of the Clark brothers, Juan and Mateo, and the line closed in 1984.
- Parque Arqueológico Paidahuén · The carvings on these rocks, faces, circles and figures, are attributed to the Aconcagua culture, the farming people who lived in the valley before the Inca arrived in the 15th century.
Up to the pass
From Los Andes the international road climbs some 2,000 metres in 60 km, following the Aconcagua River to the border with Argentina. Along the way are the gorge the old railway crossed, a famous ski resort on an emerald lake and the tunnel under the pass. Half a day by car, more in winter, when chains may be compulsory and the road can close. Take warm layers even in summer and your passport if you go past the border post.
- Salto del Soldado · The 'Soldier's Leap' is named after a patriot soldier who, the story goes, escaped Spanish troops in the war of independence by jumping across the gorge on horseback.
- Parque Andino Juncal · The Juncal River rising here is one of the two that join to form the Aconcagua, the river that waters the whole valley down to the Pacific.
- Ski Portillo · In 1966 Portillo hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships, the first ever held in the southern hemisphere, and the hotel has been run by the same family for decades.
- Laguna del Inca · Legend tells of the Inca princess Kora-llé, who fell to her death on these slopes; her husband laid her body in the lake, and its water has been green ever since.
- Complejo Fronterizo Los Libertadores · The crossing is named for the liberators of 1817: part of San Martín's Army of the Andes came over this route to free Chile.
- Túnel del Cristo Redentor · The road tunnel opened in 1980. High above it, on the old pass, stands the Christ the Redeemer of the Andes, raised in 1904 to mark the peace treaties that ended a border dispute between Chile and Argentina.
The Aconcagua valley
Below the town the Aconcagua valley opens into vineyards and old farm villages, and it was here, in 1817, that Chile won its independence. This loop visits the saint's sanctuary, the battlefield and the hill the army crossed, a Franciscan church, the colonial grid of San Felipe and a winery from the 1870s. Half a day to a full day by car. Book the winery visit ahead, and avoid the sanctuary on pilgrimage days if you want quiet.
- Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes · The saint's remains were moved here from the old convent in town in 1987, and on the yearly pilgrimage thousands of young people walk through the night across the hills to reach the sanctuary.
- Cuesta Chacabuco · On the night of 11 February 1817 San Martín's army climbed over this ridge in two columns to fall on the royalist troops waiting on the far side.
- Monumento a la Batalla de Chacabuco · The battle on 12 February 1817 opened the road to Santiago, and exactly a year later Chile declared its independence.
- Museo Franciscano de Curimón · Franciscan friars have kept the church and convent at Curimón since colonial times, and the museum in the cloister shows the carved saints and paintings they gathered.
- Plaza de Armas de San Felipe · San Felipe was founded in 1740 by the governor José Antonio Manso de Velasco and named after King Philip V of Spain; its straight streets still follow the original plan.
- Viña Errázuriz · Maximiano Errázuriz planted these vineyards at Panquehue in 1870, in a valley most thought too hot and dry for fine wine.
Getting to Los Andes and getting around
- Terminal Buses Ahumada · Frequent buses to Santiago, about 90 minutes; the Mendoza buses over the pass also stop in Los Andes
- Terminal Buses JM · Second terminal east of the square, for regional buses up the valley
- Los Andes Station · Old terminus of the Transandine railway; no passenger trains today, but the building is worth a look
Cheap eats in Los Andes
Chile's everyday food is generous and simple: the completo, a hot dog buried under avocado, tomato and mayonnaise; empanadas de pino with beef, onion, egg and an olive; and in summer mote con huesillo, a sweet peach drink with husked wheat in it. At lunchtime many places offer a menú del día with soup, main and dessert. Prices are in Chilean pesos, and tipping 10 percent is normal at table service.
- Sanguchito de Palta · Sandwich counter near the terminal, a sandwich about CLP 3,000-6,000
- Doggis · Chilean hot dog chain, a completo about CLP 2,500-4,000
- Las Casas Salón de Té · Tea room near the square for cakes and coffee, about CLP 3,000-7,000
- Jomar · Local restaurant for a menú del día, about CLP 6,000-9,000
- OK Corral · Fast food near the station, about CLP 3,000-6,000
Museums in Los Andes
- Museo del Antiguo Convento del Espíritu Santo · The saint's cell, letters and the convent rooms
- Museo Arqueológico de Los Andes · Pre-Hispanic pottery of the valley; an hour
- Museo Franciscano de Curimón · Colonial religious art in an adobe cloister
- Santuario de Santa Teresa de Los Andes · The sanctuary and the saint's tomb at Auco
- Iglesia Santa Rosa de Los Andes · Parish church on the square
Nature and day trips near Los Andes
- Laguna del Inca · Walk the lake shore from Portillo in summer
- Salto del Soldado · Look down into the gorge from the old road
- Cerro La Virgen · Morning climb for the view over town and valley
- Parque Andino Juncal · Glacier valley trails; summer only
- Termas de Jahuel · Hot springs among the hills
Things to do in Los Andes with kids
- Ski Portillo · Snow from June to September; sledging by the hotel
- Parque Arqueológico Paidahuén · Hunt for carved faces on the rocks
- Parque Ambrosio O'Higgins · Playground and lawns in town
- Termas El Corazón · Warm pools for a family afternoon
- Plaza de Armas · Ice cream under the palms in the evening
Where to eat in Los Andes
- Lunfardo · Restaurant by the square, mains about CLP 9,000-16,000
- 5ta Cordillera Espacio Gastronómico · Food hall with several kitchens, about CLP 6,000-14,000
- Hotel Estación · Hotel restaurant near the old railway, about CLP 8,000-15,000
- Raconto · Dinner a few steps from the square
- La Caleta · Fish and seafood on Avenida Argentina, about CLP 8,000-15,000
- Arunco · Chilean dishes near the station
Frequently asked questions about Los Andes
What is there to see in Los Andes?
The top sights in Los Andes are Plaza de Armas, Iglesia Santa Rosa de Los Andes and Museo del Antiguo Convento del Espíritu Santo. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Los Andes?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Los Andes without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Los Andes?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Los Andes, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Saint, poet and railway.
How do you get to Los Andes and get around?
The main ways are Terminal Buses Ahumada, Terminal Buses JM and Los Andes Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Los Andes, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Los Andes that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Los Andes for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.