Rauco

Rauco is a Chilean town and commune in Curicó Province, Maule Region. It is a mostly rural commune, located 10 km away from the city of Curicó. The commune spans an area of.
In mapudungún, Rauco means "the land of chalky water". The geographic limits are: North with Chépica, East with Teno, South with Sagrada Familia and Curicó, and West with Hualañé.

Demographics

According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute, the Rauco commune had 8,566 inhabitants 4,364 men and 4,202 women. Of these, 3,114 lived in urban areas and 5,452 in rural areas. The population grew by 9.5% between the 1992 and 2002 censuses.

Tourism

The road that links Rauco with Curicó and Hualañé, presents characteristics for the practice of cycling.
The commune of Rauco has attractive features, like the suspension bridge, a few blocks away from the town square, where people usually go to picnics, bathing, among other things.
The dam, located in the area of La Palmilla, despite being private property, allows for camping, and the fishing of Basilichthys australis. Also, the area of El Parrón is known for its goat cheese, and the husbandry of sheep and goats. Other nearby areas include El Llano, Majadilla, Palquibudi, and Tricao.
Rauco, like most of Curicó's communes, has some colonial style houses, some of which used to be the main house for large estates.

Administration

As a commune, Rauco is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council, headed by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. The 2024-2028 la alcaldesa is Claudia Medina Hernandez.
Within the electoral divisions of Chile, Rauco is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Roberto León and Celso Morales as part of the 36th electoral district, together with Curicó, Teno, Romeral, Molina, Sagrada Familia, Hualañé, Licantén and Vichuquén. The commune is represented in the Senate by Juan Antonio Coloma Correa and Andrés Zaldívar Larraín as part of the 10th senatorial constituency.