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COQUIMBO

Excursion La Serena and Elqui Valley (Full-day)

From the port at Coquimbo, you will drive through that city’s downtown area, and travel north along the coast
toward La Serena, past extensive beaches. La Serena, however, is one of Chile’s most appealing cities, with its
recent growth and modernization developed in a framework that maintains the city’s rich architectural heritage
and unique character. The symbol of La Serena is its lighthouse, where you will stop for some picture taking.
From here, the tour continues to the fertile Elqui Valley, a narrow strip of land winding inland from the coast.
It is famous for its starry sky, many astronomers and starwatchers come here. Surrounded by cactus-covered
hillsides, the river-watered valley thrives with papaya, figs, chirimoya (custard apple fruit), apricots, peaches, and
especially grapes. From these last is created the ‘pisco’ – Chile’s famous grape brandy – for which the valley
is particularly famous, and during a stopover at a distillery you will learn about pisco production and enjoy
a taste or two. Continuing the tour, you will visit Vicuña, birthplace of Nobel Prize-winner Gabriela Mistral,
Montegrande and the picturesque village of Pisco Elqui. Following a lunch in a typical restaurant, you will
return to the pier in Coquimbo. On your way back, observe how the sinking sun paints the nude rocks in many
different shades of pink – a wonderful panorama.

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Excursion city tour Coquimbo and La Serena (Half-day)

Get to know the cities of Coquimbo and La Serena on this half-day tour. You will depart from the port of
Coquimbo, passing through the city’s downtown area on your way to the nearby resort of La Herradura, on
the Bay of Guayacan. You’ll have the opportunity for a photo-stop at this beautiful bay – and might even hear
some of the legends of the English pirates from the old days. Continuing north along the coast toward La
Serena, your tour will take you past extensive beaches that have been developed with tourists in mind, with
modern hotels, apartments, pubs, discos and restaurants. Nonetheless, La Serena remains one of Chile’s most
appealing cities, because the ‘Plan La Serena’ has ensured that growth and modernization have been developed
within a framework to maintain the city’s rich architectural heritage, allowing the city to keep its own unique
character. The symbol of La Serena is its lighthouse, where you will stop for a picture before proceeding to the
archaeological museum, which provides insight into pre-Columbian civilization with an excellent collection of
ceramics. Afterwards, the tour continues to the colourful La Recova craft market, where you’ll find a variety of
souvenirs, including jewellery made from the local semi-precious stone, lapis lazuli. Your tour concludes with a
visit to university hill, which offers a fine view over La Serena and the Bay of Coquimbo, before you return to
the Coquimbo harbour via the Pan American highway.