Concon

City
 Pacific coast at Concon, near Valparaiso in Chile
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD

How to explain the lovely name Concón? One theory is that in the language of the Changos, co meant "water," and the duplication of the sound alludes to the confluence of the Río Aconcagua and the Pacific. When the Spanish arrived in 1541, Pedro de Valdivia created an improvised shipyard here that was destroyed by natives, leading to one of the first known clashes between indigenous and Spanish cultures in central Chile.

Concón has been a seaside resort for Santiaguinos for a century, first with large stately homes surrounded by well-tended gardens or perched among the rocks just meters from the sea. Many of these still exist and jostle for space among a growing number of high-rise apartment buildings, all vying for a share of the impressive ocean views. Concón has also declared itself the Gastronomic Capital of Chile—a claim that seems a bit of an exaggeration, although it may well have more restaurants per capita than any other Chilean town, many of which are great seafood restaurants. The other main attractions include its beaches as well as the rugged coastal scenery along the road that connects it to Reñaca, and the wetlands and sand dunes north of town.

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