Concepcion and the Bio Bio Valley Travel Guide
Travel to Concepcion and the Bio Bio Valley - The colonial frontier
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The frontier for hundreds of years between colonial Chile to the north and the lands of the powerful unconquered Mapuche to the south, the Bío Bío river is now better known for its white water rafting, two beautiful national parks and the industrial town of Concepción – founded as far south as the Spanish could peacefully settle at the mouth of the river and protected from the Mapuche by a series of forts.
The Mapuche are a proud people and have every right to be. First it was the tribes of the Caribbean, then the mighty Aztecs of Mexico, then the remnants of the Mayans, the gigantic Inca empire and finally the people of the Great Plains of North America who fell at the knees of conquering Europeans.
The Mapuche people didn't want to go the same way. Launching raids north as far as Santiago, early Spanish settlements near the Bío Bío were regularly razed. All attempts to colonise Mapuche land failed until the republican period, when they were finally subdued in 1883.
The town of Concepción, sitting at the mouth of the river and heavily garrisoned by the Spanish, was the southern most colonial town, bar Valdivia in the south that had to be abandoned.
Today the city is well placed to act as a base to two beautiful national parks, the Laguna del Laja National Park and the Nahuelbuta National Park. Just 16km north of the city is the Huáscar warship, the capture of which decided the outcome of the war with Peru. In the suburb of Penco stands the colonial Spanish fort of La Planchada. Built in 1687 to defend against Mapuche it has now been carefully restored.
Attractions in Concepcion and the Bio Bio Valley
Concepción – An excellent base from which to visit the area's national parks. The nearby navel base is home to a 19th Century Peruvian battleship whose capture won the war for Chile.
La Planchada – A carefully restored Spanish fort, destroyed and rebuilt dozens of times while fending off Mapuche raids and English pirates.
Laguna de Laja National Park – A huge lagoon at the base of the towering Antuco volcano sits in the centre of a national park popular for hiking and its rocky landscape.
Nahuelbuta National Park – Home to the last remaining Araucaria trees in the coastal mountains and a refuge for indigenous animals.
Activities in Concepcion and the Bio Bio Valley
Hike across the rugged landscape of Laguna de Laja National Park, take day walks through Nahuelbuta National Park and spot native species or do a bit of white water rafting.
Relaxing
Sit back and take in spectacular views from coast to mountains at Nahuelbuta National Park.
Getting Around
Local buses are available to areas around Concepción.
Access without a private vehicle to Laguna de Laja National Park is difficult.
Buses only serve Nahuelbuta National Park mid-summer, private transport can be picked up in nearby Angol or via a tour from Angol or Concepción.
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