La Ligua

La Ligua sits in the valley of the La Ligua River, in the northern part of the Valparaíso region, alongside Route 5 Norte. It is the capital of Petorca Province and one of the region’s oldest towns: it was founded in 1754 as Villa de Santo Domingo de Rozas.

The town is known across Chile for two traditions. One is the Dulces de La Ligua, made by families of confectioners and sold by women vendors with baskets and aprons, first on trains and later along the highway. The other is the knitwear industry, which turned La Ligua into a center for vests and wool clothing.

In the center, around the plaza, is the La Ligua museum, dedicated to the peoples who lived in the La Ligua and Petorca valleys before the arrival of the Spaniards. The commune extends to the sea: in Los Molles, on the coast, the Puquén is a rock-and-cave formation where seawater shoots out forcefully when there are waves.

The destination works as a stop between Santiago and northern Chile or as a one- or two-day trip from the capital, combining the town, the sweets, and the coast.

This destination brings together 1 city: La Ligua.