Chile Guide
Around Santiago
Cajón del Maipo
The CAJÓN DEL MAIPO is a beautiful river valley carved out of the Andes by the Río Maipo. Served by a good paved road (for 48km of its 70km length) and punctuated by a string of hamlets offering tourist facilities, it's one of the most popular weekend escapes from the capital. The potential for outdoor adventures is enormous. Only a fraction of that potential has been realized, but organized hiking, rafting, and mountain biking trips are plentiful.
Start at the mouth of the cajón, just 25km southeast of Santiago, at Las Vizcachas. Here the scenery is lush and gentle, and as you climb into the valley you'll pass vineyards, orchards, roadside stalls selling locally produced fruit, and signs advertising homemade küchen, miel (honey) pan amasado (fresh oven-baked bread) and chicha (cider). Twenty-five kilometres on, you reach the administrative centre of the valley, SAN JOSE DE MAIPO, a small town that was founded in 1791 following the discovery of nearby silver deposits. It's quite attractive, with single-storey adobe houses and an old, colonial church. If you want to stay, try Residencial Inesita, Comercio 19321 ( 
8611012; Price: CH$15000-25000). Drivers should note that this is the last place along the road where you can fill up with petrol. There are no banks or ATM machines in the valley, so bring cash.
Getting to Cajón del Maipo is easy from Santiago: blue and white Cajón del Maipo buses leave from a small terminal outside Parque O'Higgins, near the metro, with four buses daily going as far as El Volcán, and less frequent services to Baños Morales (daily Jan & Feb; weekends only Oct– March). From Plaza Italia, Tursmontaña ( 8500555) runs minivans to Baños Morales; call ahead for reservations. Most departures are early morning. For private vehicles the road is fine until San Gabriel, where it may be filled with rocks and landslides. Weekend traffic can be horrendous, with two- to three-hour backups. To avoid the traffic, make an early day of it, entering the cajón well before 10am and leaving before 3pm (or, if necessary, late at night).