Chile La Serena and Elqui Valley
Just south of the Atacama desert is a sunlit valley where vineyards nestle amidst ancient villages, tawny mountains and glistening night skies.
Overview
500km north of Santiago, La Serena is Chile’s second-oldest city and a pleasant university town. Following the discovery of silver nearby in the 19th century the town’s prosperity saw the building of fine churches and mansions. It was given a colonial-style facelift in the 1940s and is now a resort town popular with Chilean holidaymakers. La Serena is a gateway to the Humboldt Reserve, with its offshore nesting colonies of Humboldt penguins, and an important area for whale watching in the summer months (Nov-March).
An hour inland of La Serena is another world completely. The Elqui valley is a gorgeous oasis where vivid carpets of green announce some of Chile's finest vineyards: wine is produced here, but first and foremost the Elqui valley is synonymous with the production of the nation's other favourite tipple, pisco. Quaint towns and villages such as Vicuña, Pisco Elqui and Alcoguaz lend local flavour, and the valley is also rich in pre-Columbian heritage. Because of the dry climate the sky here is particularly clear and there are two astronomical observatories open to visitors.
Things to do
There is lots to see and do in La Serena and Elqui Valley, from exploring the beautiful scenery, to enjoying a spot of stargazing. Book now with Journey Latin America.
Where to go when - our guide to La Serena and Elqui Valley
The weather in La Serena and Elqui Valley is wide and varied
The old university town of La Serena and the fertile oasis of the Elqui valley are renowned for their natural beauty and the unrivalled pisco produced in this region. A visit between October - March is the perfect time to see the lush landscapes in their full glory, with January and February receiving the most visitors. During these months there may be some short bursts of rain, but these are infrequent and most days remain clear and dry - perfect conditions for stargazing at the high-tech Mamalluca observatory. From May - August temperatures cool down and the days grow shorter. However, the pisco distilleries- or pisquerias - of the Elqui valley generally remain open for tours and pisco tasting year-round.
View our La Serena and Elqui Valley weather guidePapagaio
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Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.
Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert
A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.
Sophie Barber - Travel Expert
Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.
Lina Fuller - Travel Expert
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert
Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.
Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert
Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.
