Located in a valley surrounded by the Wind Mountain Range, it is the second-largest municipality in the north of the province after Chos Malal.

[1] The origin of the name of the town, although disputed, is believed to come from the Kichwa words anta and coya, which can be translated as Queen of Metal or Copper Mine.

[3] In 1882, Chilean prospectors formed a settlement as a base for their search for gold in the mountains of the area, which meant a population influx for the Minas Department.

It started decaying in the late 1940s due to the fall of the international gold prices, which along with a crisis in the rural sector, caused many locals to migrate or seek new economical activities by the 1960s.

[1] While mining still had a key role in the town's economy, Andacollo became significant as a service center for the nearby rural population of the Minas Department.

The construction, made of stone, adobe and a carton roof is officially a part of the municipality's cultural patrimony and is a testimony to its mining past.

[1] Cultural events take place regularly at the amphitheater on Jaime de Nevares street, as well as the craftsmen fair, where regional handmade products are sold.