Tours and Activities:

Craftsmen Fair and Market in Chillán

This is nothing else than the famous market of Chillán and the most complete and varied handicrafts street fair in the country. They are next to one another, separated only by a narrow street.

No sooner do visitors cross some of its gates than they can experience very particular sensations. The market is a perfect example of the rest of the roofed markets, very usual in Chile, which delight visitors with very fresh national farm products.
    
But the greatest attraction in these markets is the possibility of tasting the unlimited repertoire of Chilean cuisine. The most traditional seafood and fish dishes and the most tempting alternatives are served at any time. The local longanizas (spicy pork sausages) and cecinas (cold cuts), as well as the casseroles, stand out.
    
Los locos, a traditional dish, deserves a special treatment in this article. It is prepared with a master recipe nobody reveals which has turned this area into a real paradise for fans of this sea fruit specialty.

About Crafts and Craftsmen
    
The handicrafts fair, which occupies a huge block in the city, gathers a real sample of the various cultural manifestations not only from this region but also from the rest of the country and Latin America.
    
Whicker, leather, stone, rubber, basket weaving, woodcarving, wool from the high plateau, metal and everything visitors might think of is part of the items sold at these stalls, laid one next to the other.
    
Everyday, thousands of people, mostly tourists, tour around the fair to find everything from gifts and souvenirs to unique pieces that perfectly represent the feeling of this region.

Various excursions reach this spot and take tourists back to their hotels happy to have purchased rare items made of pottery, amongst which those of Quinchamali stand out. Featuring varied shapes and colors, these pieces are made of black clay and painted in white.
    
They are so original and attractive that not only are they exhibited in the Bío-Bío Region, but also in the most prestigious museums in the world.
    
The small village (Quinchamali), after which they are named, lies only 30 kilometers from the city of Chillán and is visited by hundreds of tourists.

Contact

Oficina de Turismo

18 de Septiembre 455, (3780000) , Chillán, VIII Región del Biobio

See also: Hotels in Chillán and other accommodation venues