Lota – located in Chile’s Bío Bío region – is perhaps most well-known for its mining history, but this small town is a traveler’s jewel, waiting to be discovered.
An important piece of Chilean literature, Subterra, written in 1904 by Baldomero Lillo, exposed the difficult lives of miners working in Lota’s El Chiflón del Diablo coal mine. Since 1904, the conditions of mines throughout Chile have improved, and as the industry focus shifted from coal to copper, El Chiflón del Diablo was closed in the 1990s. It is now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
Along with mining, the fishing industry has also shaped Lota’s culture, and fishermen today sell their fresh catches in one of Chile’s best and most interesting ferias, or bazaars. Lota’s Feria Libre is a spectacular collection of produce, merchandise and fish, located in the center of town and open every day of the year.
Even Lota’s beaches are unique, and one can observe colorful sand in rainbow bands ranging from deep volcanic black to sparkling quartz-crystal white.
A tribute to Lota’s singular characteristics, a crater on Mars was named after the town by the International Astronomical Union in 1976.
Visit the following local attractions, and experience Lota’s distinctive seaside charm:
National Monuments
Chile’s council of national monuments (CMN) recently considered the historical relevance of Lota, declaring national monuments throughout the area, and acknowledging that this community initiated industrialization in Chile.
In 2009, CMN created the following four integral monuments, related to the area’s coal-mining legacy: El Chiflón del Diablo mine, the Pabellón 83 residential sector that once housed mine workers, Parque Isidora Cousiño, and El Teatro del Sindicato Número 6, a theater begun by the miners but never completed.
Search and explore a complete database of Chile’s national monuments here.
Parque Isidora Cousiño
The Cousiño family played an important role in Lota’s industrial history, and Parque Isidora Cousiño (Isidora Cousiño Park) gives visitors a glimpse into the town’s high-society past.
One of Lota’s most famed national monuments, Parque Cousiño’s tranquil grounds contain luxurious gardens and elegant sculptures, and the old Cousiño manor, constructed in 1874, is now a museum.
El Chiflón del Diablo
Descend 1,200 m below the earth and imagine the miners laboring at work in the cavernous passages of El Chiflón del Diablo, another Lota national monument.
El Chiflón del Diablo was fully operational until 1997, and guided tours now recount stories of the coal mine’s intriguing history.
Playa Blanca
Following a short 10-minute bus ride south of Lota, one can relax on exquisite Playa Blanca (White Beach).
Purchase the makings of a picnic lunch in the Feria Libre, and end your tour of Lota at Playa Blanca, watching the sun drop slowly into the Pacific Ocean.
How to Arrive
Lota is 42 km south of the city of Concepción. Reasonably-priced public buses travel regularly throughout the area.
Gretchen Renee Stahlman 