At the western approach to the main road up the north side of the Cajón del Maipo [1], 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 [2]). It also organizes hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, rafting, and paragliding excursions.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/chile/santiago-and-vicinity/vicinity-santiago/cajon-del-maipo
[2] http://www.geoexpediciones.cl