Lota is an old mining town located 9 km south from the city of Coronel. The town is dependent on its industry of coal mining, begun in 1852 by Matías Cousiño.

Lota was founded in 1662 by the Spanish Governor Angel de Peredo, and on 5 January 1875 it was awarded the title of ‘City’. In 1852 Matías Cousiño bought the lands where he built his coal-mining business.

Lota is divided into two sectors: Bajo (Low) and Alto (High). Lota Bajo lies between the hills of the valley and the seafront, where the commercial center and public services are located. In Lota Alto the mines are found, along with typical living quarters of the miners.

Chivilingo
A coastal town 10 km south of Lota with a narrow beach some 1,500 meters in length. The beach has white sand and is surrounded by hills covered with vegetation, which protect it from the wind.

It is well-known for the Chivilingo Hydroelectric Power Station, a piece of historical, cultural and tourist heritage, built in 1897. This was the first hydroelectric power station built in the country, and only the second built in the whole of South America, and was declared a National Monument in 1990.

It has its own dark-sanded but long beach, suitable for fishing and sunbathing.

Laraquete
A coastal town 13 km south from Lota whose activities principally center around traditional fishing, providing the numerous restaurants with gastronomic specialties.

The beach’s waters are very calm, permitting water sports, and the river Cruces contains individual, pretty stones used by the handicraft makers of the region.