Malleco River is a river in

Malleco Province Malleco Province ( es, Provincia de Malleco) is one of two provinces in the southern Chilean region of La Araucanía (IX). Its population as of the 2017 census is 205,124, and it covers an area of . The provincial capital is the city of Angol. M ...

La Araucanía Region LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

, central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. It rises in the western slopes of the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

, within the

Tolhuaca National Park Tolhuaca National Park () is a Protected Area created on October 16, 1935, in an area of 3,500 ha that was previously part of the Malleco National Reserve. In 1985, a second section of Malleco National Reserve was also made part of the national ...

and near

Tolhuaca Volcano Tolhuaca Volcano is a stratovolcano straddling the border between the regions of Bío Bío and Araucanía in southern Chile. The volcano has been shaped by glacial erosion, which contrasts with the relatively smooth slopes of its neighbor Lonq ...

. After passing by Tolhuaca, it drops into a 50 meter waterfall before continuing towards the Pacific. The river is a major tributary to the

Vergara River Vergara River is a river located in the Intermediate Depression of Chile. The river rises at the junction of the Malleco and Rehue rivers, close to the city of Angol.

, which is a tributary of the

Biobío River The Biobío River (also known as Bío Bío or Bio-Bio) is the second largest river in Chile. It originates from Icalma and Galletué lakes in the Andes and flows 380 km to the Gulf of Arauco (in Spanish) on the Pacific Ocean. The major tri ...

. The

Malleco Viaduct The Malleco Viaduct ( es, Viaducto del Malleco) is a railway bridge located in central Chile, passing over the Malleco River valley, south of Collipulli in the Araucania Region. It was opened by President José Manuel Balmaceda on October 26, 18 ...

, built in 1890 and at the time the highest railroad bridge in the world, is the main landmark of the river and a candidate as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

References

Malleco Rivers of Araucanía Region {{Chile-river-stub