Talca is in Central Chile. It is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region.
Talca is accessible by the main highway of Chile, the Ruta 5, a modern and well maintained toll road with a 120kph speed limit which is part of the Panamerican Highway system. Getting in to the city from the highway involves many unmarked turns that leave you feeling that the city is not interested in visitors.
Talca personifies the Chilean characteristics of being isolated, insular and very local. Most travellers from Santiago to the South pass right through and have no experience of Talca, a busy medium sized city with cars, taxis, busses bicycles and horse drawn carts in the streets.
Regional paved roads lead eastward from Talca to the Pacific ocean. To the west, the San Clemente road is paved to within 80km of the Argentine border at the rugged Paso Pehuenche which is open for about 2 months of the year, otherwise closed and impassible because of snow.
Bus service to and from Talca is frequent and goes in all four directions. There is train service north and south with a special and rustic train that makes the trip to the coast.
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