Quintero's origins date back to 1536 , when it reaches the Spanish Don Alonso de Quintero on the ship Santiaguillo . At that time they made the Spanish sailors chart in its recognition, with the help of a translator Inca, who told him that on top of the highest hill (Cerro Mauco), would be strong in a summit that agreed point and Diego de Almagro to join, so it was called "Quintero Bay", being recorded as well for the Spanish Navy.
Although the characteristic of the area, an enclosed bay and protected from the wind, wide plains adjacent to the bay, fresh water marshes, the nearby river Aconcagua and enough wood nearby, unique attributes in the Chilean coast, and Diego de Almagro nor other conquerors wanted to occupy the bay, although it was unclear because of the Indians who are not colonized the area, the exact reason is unknown shuffled two possibilities, the first theory is that the hostility shown by the indigenous attack on the Con-Con, the conquerors preferred to leave the place alone, and a port located in a free zone as it was indigenous Valparaiso. The other theory is that the sector was a cursed place for Indians because the Indians earlier settlements had been destroyed by tsunamis susesivos strong and early sixteenth century by the famous tectonic cycle 81, frightened the Indians saw those tsunami as a sign that there would not be tamed. However understandable the first option, this does not explain why the Spanish did not colonize and founded a port in Quintero, certainly in later centuries thought that the idea of cursed place, continued to weigh on the minds of the Spanish, but who more than installing the Jesuits themselves stay away I did forget the legend of the place.
Pirates and Corsairs exist in history and legend of Quintero, it is stated that the April 9 of 1587 comes the Corsair English Thomas Cavendish , so come the pirates Drake in thesixteenth century and Spilbergen in the seventeenth century , finding a resting and supply
