La Higuera: Townscape and Mining History

La Higuera combines a star-shaped town plan with distinctive buildings and traces of its mining history. The central square, Gabriela Mistral Avenue and the church at the highest point of a slope provide different points of reference in the townscape. Those interested in architecture and the history of a place will find not only individual buildings here, but also a cohesive streetscape. These features may play a part in choosing a holiday apartment if your stay is focused on La Higuera itself.

Square, avenue and townscape

The central square lies at the heart of the star-shaped urban layout. Characteristic residential building types can be found around it and along Gabriela Mistral Avenue. In the central area, buildings line the street continuously; together, they form a homogeneous, clearly defined streetscape. The town centre is considered to be of urban planning interest, and Gabriela Mistral Avenue is also among the areas considered interesting.

These spatial connections give the town a clearly recognisable layout: the theatre marks the eastern end of the avenue, while the town plan has expanded mainly to the east and west along the northern access road. A pulpería and typical buildings from former mining camps also stand along Gabriela Mistral Avenue in a continuous row. Together with the houses around the square, they show how different types of buildings shape the urban fabric.

Church with older bells

The Parroquia Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes stands at the western end of Gabriela Mistral Street. Built in 1982, it is located at the highest point of the slope; the church is visible from the square. Its single-nave, rectangular basilica space has a raised interior in the altar area. The sacristy and ancillary rooms can also be accessed from there. The adobe walls are reinforced with a metal structure, and the roof consists of two zinc sections.

A bell tower with a stone base adjoins the main building; its upper section has a wooden frame and is clad in wood. The bells date from the second half of the 19th century, making them considerably older than the church building, which was constructed in 1982. These different dates make the church a tangible point of reference for La Higuera’s architectural history. Its surroundings also include ten other historic conservation sites in the plan.

Traces of trade and mining

The Casona de La Higuera preserves the original architecture of a former pulpería, a company store dating from the 19th century. This means that, alongside the houses and the church, the town’s former commercial role is also part of its history. Mining slag heaps are visible at the northern entrance to the town, and numerous underground mining tunnels run beneath the settlement. Both are tangible traces of mining that differ from the above-ground streetscape.

Several other buildings are listed in the MOP inventory of protected buildings for La Higuera: the Consultorio La Higuera on Avenida O’Higgins, the Vivienda Obrera Marta Brunet on Marta Brunet Street, and the Viviendas Obreras Gabriela Mistral on the street of the same name. These listings add public and workers’ housing to the picture of the town. They stand alongside the characteristic residential building types found around the square and along Gabriela Mistral Avenue.

Plan your stay in La Higuera

When looking for a holiday apartment in La Higuera, it helps to decide what you want to focus on during your stay. If you mainly want to explore the townscape and its buildings, the central square and Gabriela Mistral Avenue provide useful points of reference when deciding where to stay. If you are interested in mining history, the visible slag heaps at the northern entrance to the town and the tunnels offer further points of interest. You can then choose accommodation based on which aspects of the town matter most to your plans.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: La Serena, Vicuña, Trigo Blanco, Coquimbo, Paiguano.

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