El Norte Chico
We’ve compiled the best of the best in El Norte Chico - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Alfa Aldea
Although there are more established observatories in the area, Alfa Aldea has made its mark on the astronomy world due to the flawless attention to detail and excellent customer service. With a glass of wine in hand, embark on a journey to the beginning of time as the dome above you transforms into an interactive and 3D exploration. While lounging among comfortable seating, carpeted floors, and blankets, a bilingual astronomer explains the inner workings of the universe. Afterward, you pop outside beneath the stars to peep at constellations, nebulas, planets, and the moon with a real telescope before listening to light transformed into sound waves by a radio telescope, one of the very few available to tourists in the area. You will need to book your visit here in advance.
Parcela 17, Vicuña, Coquimbo, N/A, Chile51-241--2441Sight Details
Rate Includes: 10000 pesos -
2. Fundo Los Nichos
About 4 km (3 miles) past Pisco Elqui lies this operational pisco distillery. Guided tours show you around its workings and culminate in the basement, where the original owner and his partners would raid the stock for prolonged, secretive drinking sessions. More clearheaded visitors should note that he and his friends also found time to amass a rather morbid collection of epithets, now displayed on the walls. If you want to get to the dregs of this valley´s historic distillery story, this is the site to visit.
Pisco Elqui, Coquimbo, 1760000, Chile51-245–1085Sight Details
Rate Includes: 3000 pesos (includes tour and tasting) -
3. Museo Arqueológico de La Serena
Housing many fascinating artifacts and one of the world's best collections of precolonial ceramics, this museum is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of the region. Reopened in 2021 after a 10-year restoration, the museum's new curation contains a beautifully housed collection of Diaguita and Molle pottery, an Easter Island moai (carved stone head), bones of the mysterious American Horse, and a raft made of seal skins sown together with cactus spines.
Cordovez and Cienfuegos, La Serena, Coquimbo, 1700000, Chile51-267–2243-ticketsSight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Mon. -
4. Museo Mineralógico
This museum offers a geological history of the region and the country's best collection of rocks and minerals. There are close to 2,500 samples, including some found only in the Atacama Desert. The museum even displays a few meteorites that fell in the area.
Colipí 333, Copiapó, Atacama, 1530450, ChileSight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed weekends, Open 10–1 and 3–6 -
5. Pangue Observatory
One of the many tourist observatories to pop up across the region catering to the growing numbers of visitors keen to catch their own glimpse of the mysteries of the universe, Pangue—17 km (11 miles) south of Vicuña—boasts more firepower than most, with arguably the most powerful telescope in the region. Through the 16- and 25-inch telescopes, you can view solar systems, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. The standard tour allows enough time to see eight to 10 such phenomena, while budding stargazers are welcome to bring their own list, and tour guides can help you find them. Tours can be organized from the tour office at San Martín 233 in Vicuña and are available in English, French, and Spanish. Note that tours do not run for the week around each full moon.
Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile51-241–2584Sight Details
Rate Includes: From 24000 pesos, Closed July and Aug. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar
This national reserve stretching for 40 km (25 miles) along the coast north of the town of Chañaral has some of Chile's most spectacular coastal scenery. Steep cliffs fall into the crashing sea, their ominous presence broken occasionally by white-sand beaches made for picnics. Within the park is an incredible variety of flora and fauna, including sea lions, sea otters, foxes, and the very rare Peruvian diving petrel, as well as some 20 species of cacti, including the rare copiapoa, which resembles a little blue pin cushion. At the tiny fishing village of Caleta Pan de Azúcar, you can find several local guides who can take you on boat trips to see colonies of Humboldt penguins.
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7. Playa Las Machas
Stretching from the southernmost tip of Bahía Inglesa right around the bay, Playa Las Machas has escaped the attention of the majority of tourists and is a relaxing alternative to the more crowded beaches in the town proper. Whether you decide to explore the long shoreline on foot, taking in the dramatic scenery as you go, or find yourself a secluded spot for sunbathing and to get away from it all, this white-sand beach is a great place to while away a lazy afternoon. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunset; surfing; walking.
Bahía Inglesa, Atacama, Chile -
8. Playa Totoralillo
Even though it's a bit of a trek, this stunning package of bleach-white sand, turquoise water, and rocky desert scenery is worth the trip. The 17-km (10-mile) journey south from Coquimbo is more than made up for by the natural advantages of the beach and the perfect conditions for swimming, diving, fishing, and snorkeling. Amenities: food and drink (summer only); parking (fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.
La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile -
9. Valle del Encanto
One of the more intriguing spots in all of Norte Chico, this isolated and sprawling protected wilderness area is crisscrossed by unexplained holes in the stone floor, made most likely by the Molle and Diaguita cultures. Also dotted all around the park are rock carvings known as petroglyphs and pictographs, which date back from about 4,000 years and feature everything from a (supposed) alien to people with elaborate headdresses. Wildlife roams everywhere here, so keep an eye out for the liebre (hare), loica (long-tailed meadowlark), and the degu, a native rodent. Sometimes a guide waits near the petroglyphs and can show you the best of the carvings for a small fee. To reach the site, take Ruta 45 west from Ovalle. About 19 km (12 miles) out of town, head south for 5 km (3 miles) on a rough, dry road.
24 km (15 miles) west of Ovalle, Ovalle, Coquimbo, 1840000, Chile53-266--1237Sight Details
Rate Includes: 2500 pesos, Closed Mon. and Tues. -
10. Viña Tabalí
This small-scale winemaker is a Limari Valley pioneer, known for producing premium quality wines that highlight the character of each of their vineyards. The winery can be found on the same unpaved road that leads to the Valle del Encanto and makes a perfect place to relax after exploring the petroglyphs. Tours, which must be reserved at least one day in advance, include a tasting session in the impressive underground cellar. It's open only on weekends for appointments made in advance.
Ovalle, Coquimbo, 1940000, Chile2-2352–6800Sight Details
Rate Includes: 12000 pesos, includes tasting -
11. Viñedos de Alcohuaz
Ancient viticulture meets avant garde techniques at this unimposing but extraordinary vineyard near the head of the Elqui Valley. Their two-hour tour begins with a drive through an eclectic mix of vines such as Carménère, Petit Verdot, Carignan, and Touriga Nacional. Next, see the barn housing maceration pools where, during harvest season, tourists can still help trample barefoot on the grapes. Finally, travel underground into a James Bond–esque room where giant concrete vats ferment the wine. After the tour, try three wines with a selection of cheese and dry fruit. If you visit one vineyard in Chile, make it this one.
Alcohuaz, Pisco Elqui, Coquimbo, Chile9-7476–8200Sight Details
Rate Includes: 30000 pesos, Tasting before midday, when the palette is most sensitive, is recommended -
12. Casa Escuela
On the way to Pisco Elqui is the tiny village of Montegrande, where Gabriela Mistral grew up and considered her hometown. Her family lived in the schoolhouse where her elder sister taught. This was later turned into a museum and now displays some relics from the poet's life. Visitors can also visit the Nobel Prize–winning poet's tomb on a nearby hillside.
Gabriela Mistral 759, Monte Grande, Coquimbo, 1760000, ChileSight Details
Rate Includes: 500 pesos, Closed Mon. -
13. Centro Turístico Capel
Visiting a pisco vineyard is a great way to learn about the history of a product that has come to define the Elqui Valley, not to mention the perfect excuse to enjoy a relaxing glass of this tasty, fruity, aromatic drink in beautiful surroundings. At Centro Turístico Capel, just across the Elqui River from Vicuña, you can tour the bottling facility, well-groomed gardens, and artisan’s gallery before tasting several piscos.
Vicuña, Coquimbo, 1760000, Chile51-255–4337Sight Details
Rate Includes: Standard tour 4000 pesos -
14. Cerro de la Virgen
Devotees of the Virgen de Lourdes, the town's patron saint, consider this hill a place of pilgrimage. Overlooking the city, it affords a great view of Vicuña. It's a 2-km (1-mile) hike north of the city via a poorly maintained trail that can be litter strewn, yet the summit is well worth it. Head up in the evening to see the surrounding hills in the Elqui Valley bathed in deep reds and oranges by the setting sun.
Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile -
15. Cerro Tololo Observatory
Perched at 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), Cerro Tololo Observatory runs free tours of its two principal telescopes on Saturdays. During January and February, priority is given to nonspecialist visitors—although high demand means it’s worth reserving at least a month in advance—while the rest of the year the observatory tours cater principally to delegations. Tours should first be requested by phone or email; once the reservation has been made, permission certification can be picked up at the observatory’s offices in Las Serena on the corner of avenidas Huanhalí and J. Cisternas. Tours may be canceled in bad weather.
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16. Destilería Mistral
In the older section of this pisco plant, maintained strictly for show, you can see the antiquated copper cauldrons and wooden barrels formerly used to distill the famous brand. The distillery arranges daily tours, followed by tastings of pisco sours. There is also an on-site restaurant.
Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 746, Pisco Elqui, Coquimbo, 1760000, Chile9-3416–6049-for WhatsApp or text onlySight Details
Rate Includes: Tours 6500 pesos -
17. Gemini South Observatory
With one of the largest telescopes in the world, an 8.1-meter (26.5 feet) Cassegrain, this observatory 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Cerro Tololo is operated by a consortium of six nations. Tours are free of charge on Friday mornings and can be tailored to the interests of the group (usually between 10 and 25 people). Email at least a month in advance to request a place on the tour. Priority is given to student and scientific delegations.
Vicuña, Coquimbo, 1760000, Chile51-220–5600Sight Details
Rate Includes: Closed June–Aug. -
18. Iglesia Catedral
With its central location in the beautiful Plaza de Armas, this imposing cathedral—the largest church in La Serena—is a great place to start your city tour. French architect Jean Herbage built the behemoth using stone from the Soldado mine in 1844 in the so-called Serena style of arches and columns, but it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that the bell tower was added. The church is open to the public.
Cordovez and Balmaceda, La Serena, Coquimbo, 1700000, ChileNo phone -
19. Iglesia Catedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario
English architect William Rogers built this neoclassical church facing the central square in the middle of the 19th century. Check out the silver tabernacle and image of the Virgen del Rosario at the altar.
Chacabuco at Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, Copiapó, Atacama, 1530000, ChileNo phone -
20. Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción
A huge steeple tops this 1909 church facing the central square. It has some pretty ceiling paintings and an image of the Virgen del Carmen carried by Chilean troops during the War of the Pacific. The wooden, fire-engine-red Torre Bauer, next to the church, was prefabricated in Germany.
Gabriela Mistral 315, Vicuña, Coquimbo, 1760000, ChileNo phone
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