Combarbalá

Combarbalá is the capital city of the commune of Combarbalá in Limarí Province in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, at an elevation of about 900 meters, with a commune population of 13,605 recorded in the 2012 census, of whom 5,494 lived in urban areas. It was formally founded on November 30, 1789, as Villa de San Francisco de Borja de Combarbalá under Spanish colonial governor Ambrosio O'Higgins through Captain Juan Ignacio Flores. The city is known for the Cruz del Sur astronomical observatory, the Rincón las Chilcas petroglyphs, handicrafts made from the local combarbalita stone, and the basketball tournament El Clásico held alongside the Virgen de la Piedra festival blending Catholic and indigenous tradition.