The origins of the legend go back to around 1535, when Diego de Almagro left Cuzco in Peru to attempt to the conquest of Chile. He was accompanied by 550 Spaniards and some 10,000 Peruvian indians. Among these were two men of high rank; Paullo Tupac and Huillac Huma. The former was a prince of the royal Inca family and the latter the last...

The Virgin of La Tirana Museum   It is situated opposite the La Tirana Sanctuary and it is where the presents of the faithful are kept as well as the costumes used for religious dances.    The museum was created by don Andrés "Cacique" Farías who collected a large amount of objects from the saltpetre...

La Guaica Founded in 1850, the town lies only a few kilometers from Pozo Almonte. Originally, it was surrounded by forests of Tamarugo trees, but these had to be felled because of the requirements of the nitrates mines in the sector. Nevertheless, the only remaining natural forests of Tamarugos and Carob trees may be seen in the...

The vigil is held on the night of 15th July, the eve of 16th which is the festival of La Virgen del Carmen. This is when the ¨waiting for dawn¨ takes place. Bonfires are lit in the town square while dancers perform around them and throw fireworks into the air. Then by morning, on 16th, the dancers disperse in order to change...