At the western approach to the main road up the north side of the Cajón del Maipo, just beyond the Carabineros police post at Las Vizcachas, note the informal shrine for the folk saint Difunta Correa, strongly identified with Argentina’s San Juan province but with a distinctly binational twist here. According to legend, the young mother Deolinda Correa died of thirst in the desert in the 19th century, but her baby survived at her breast; her need for water explains the bottles left by her devotees.

In addition to this unique shrine, uncommon but not unheard of in Chile, Las Vizcachas also has a weekend Autocine (drive-in theater), perhaps the only one in the country. On the south side of the highway, a bit farther on, Vinícola Cavas del Maipo (tel. 02/8711508) offers guided winery tours (US$5.50) by reservation only, preferably a day ahead of time.

For technical climbers, Geo Expediciones has a climbing wall at its Centro de Escalada (Camino al Volcán 07910, tel. 02/8424776, www.geoexpediciones.cl). It also organizes hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, rafting, and paragliding excursions.