El Quisco, Chile

Playa Hanga Roa, El Quisco, Chile
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Playa_Hanga_Roa_-_El_Quisco.jpg
Author: Jorge Barrios


El Quisco is a city in San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile. It covers 50.7 sq km (19.6 sq mi) and has a population of around 10,000 people (2012 estimate). Being on the central coast of the country, El Quisco serves as a popular beach resort, particularly for people living in the capital, Santiago.

El Quisco was named after the Echinopsis chiloensis cactus, known in the local Quechua language as khishka. Until the arrival of the Spanish, the area has been inhabited by various indigenous peoples, the last being the Incas. In 1541 Captain Pedro de Valdivia, who became the first royal governor of Chile, arrived and established the city. The local Chango tribe was displaced by force.

In the 16th to 18th centuries, the El Quisco coastline was a pirate haven. Development progressed gradually, with roads being built only in the 19th century to connect the various settlements along the coast. Today El Quisco has turned into a major tourist destination and a hub for sea sports such as swimming and scuba diving. It is a short distance south of Algarrobo, which has the biggest swimming pool in the world.

The beach as Isla Negra in El Quisco, Chile
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Isla_Negra_(Chile).JPG
Author: Jorge Barrios

Places of Interest in El Quisco

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