Andacollo (Chile)

Andacollo (Spanish pronunciation: [an.da.ˈko.ʝo], from quechua anta, copper, gold; coya, queen) is a city and commune in the Elqui Province, Coquimbo Region, Chile. It is one of Chile's oldest and best known pilgrimage centers with Our Lady of Andacollo attracting thousands of devotees and tourists each year. Economically, Andacollo is the central town of a mining district dominated by medium-scale mining. There are gold placers and gold mineralizations within felsic volcanic rock in its vicinity. The large open-pit copper mine Carmen de Andacollo lies next to the town and most of its workers live in the town. Andacollo has the first project in Chile of reforestation aided by the creation of technosols. The project has been carried out on top of old mine tailings in the vicinity of the town.