Cerro de Chena, Mountain summit in San Bernardo, Chile.
Cerro de Chena is a summit located just south of the Santiago metropolitan area, near the city of San Bernardo, rising clearly above the flat valley floor. Several hiking trails of varying difficulty run up its slopes and lead to the top.
The Inka built a fortress on this hill toward the end of the 15th century as part of their expansion into central Chile and their control over the Maipo valley. Centuries later, during the Chilean War of Independence, the hill was used again as a military observation point.
At the top of Cerro de Chena, there is a pre-Hispanic fortress known as a Pukará, whose stone walls are still visible on the summit plateau. Visitors who reach the top can walk among the ruins and get a direct sense of how this high ground was once used for control and defense.
The mountain can be visited any time of year, though the trails are drier and easier to walk during the summer months. In winter the paths can get slippery, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
During the military dictatorship of the 1970s, Cerro de Chena was used as a detention site, giving this natural hill a layer of recent history that many visitors do not expect. This adds a sober weight to a place that might otherwise seem like a simple weekend hike.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
