Andacollo

Andacollo is in north-western Neuquén, 1,113 metres above sea level, on the left bank of the Neuquén River, in a valley overlooking the Cordillera del Viento. It is the seat of the Minas department and has 3,669 residents (2022 census). The area is rich in minerals — gold and copper among them — and also lives on forestry and livestock.

Things to do

Peace and quiet and good fishing. 8 km from town, on the Nahueve River, there is a natural bathing spot with crystal-clear water and good rainbow trout fishing. The town has lodging, petrol stations, local crafts, a municipal campsite and a public hospital.

Getting here

Provincial route 43 links it to Chos Malal to the south-east and to Las Ovejas and Varvarco to the north. Other provincial roads connect it, through valleys with pehuén forests, to Loncopué and Las Lajas.

Climate

Cold-temperate continental, with cold, rainy winters and frequent snowfall, and mild, dry, sunny summers.

Its name

It was named by 19th-century Chilean miners after Andacollo, a mining town in the Coquimbo region; it is often translated as “shining on the heights”. Until the late 19th century the area was home to the Pehuenche people.

Distances: Northern Neuquén · provincial route 43