Earthquakes and tsunamis , which razed the town in 1570 , 1657 , 1687 , 1730 and 1751 , led the authorities to move the town to its current site in the Valle de la Mocha , alongside the Bío Bío River ; the old site lay empty until March 29 , 1842 , when the present town of Penco was founded .
Earthquakes and tsunamis , which razed the town in 1570 , 1657 , 1687 , 1730 and 1751 , led the authorities to move the town to its current site in the Valle de la Mocha , alongside the Bío-Bío River .