I booked my tickets to La Serena, Chile without knowing much about the region. I had found very cheap tickets via the budget airline, Jet Smart, so I figured I had nothing but a few bucks to lose if we didn’t like it. I booked one night in a hostel in La Serena, allowing myself some flexibility if we wanted to bolt. What happened after completely surprised me. La Serena, and the Pisco Elqui region, shouldn’t just be a passing glance, and here’s why.First stop – Hostal El Punto
Based on some overwhelmingly positive reviews, we chose to stay at the German-owned Hostal El Punto. It was pretty empty when we arrived, which was a welcome break from the bustle of Santiago. We checked in, and explored our new digs. It’s times like these that I’m thankful for the Internet because I couldn’t have been happier about our decision.
At every turn, we found ourselves in an adorable room or courtyard, and I was eager to snap some photos with my camera during our trip. Since we had arrived in the evening, we just did a quick walk through town (very safe, and surprisingly lively) and turned in for the night.
Pisco Elqui, the heart of Chile’s Pisco country
Even if you’re not a fan of this fermented spirit, you can’t miss the sweeping valley views of Pisco Elqui. The region is famous for its vast vineyards that stretch as far as the eye can see. This is offset by the dramatic Andes mountains which create the most picture-perfect surroundings you can imagine. We went in the fall, and the area was carpeted with bright yellow vegetation and stark, brown mountains.
While I may not love pisco, I didn’t want to give up a chance to visit one of the most famous Pisco distilleries in the region, Gabriela Mistral.
I will say, the tour here was not the best, especially since it was in Spanish and it was difficult to follow along with the tour guide. It was similar to any winery tour you may have been on, but the grounds are absolutely stunning, so, just for that, it was worth a look. And, fun fact, they use American oak barrels to store the pisco!
More than just penguins – a visit to Isla Damas
One of the most popular recommendations under “La Serena Things to Do” was always the Isla Damas tour. I found a non-tour option that got us there using a local bus company and vowed to keep my expectations low since this wasn’t the season for penguin sightings.
It was a long, but scenic journey to the tiny town of Punta Choros, from where the boat tours set out. You can see in the photos below how dry and dusty the north of Chile can really be, only made more apparent by the colourful clapboard houses that line the streets.
The boat tour lasts about 3 hours, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and we were on the water! As we made our way through the clear blue seas, our tour guide explained to us (in Spanish) the delicate nature of this reserve, and the impressive efforts the local conservation organizations have made to create a natural habitat for these Humboldt penguins.
Unfortunately, our penguin sighting was quite limited, but I think we got something even better – sea lions and DOLPHINS! You can see a video of the dolphins jumping out of the water here:
Stargazing in the mountains
Due to its dry conditions, the area around La Serena is one of the best spots in the world to observe stars. In fact, Chile has set up several observatories in the area and invites researchers from any country to take advantage of their resources.
We visited the Pangue Observatory, spending a night in Vicuna, another town an hour from La Serena. From Vicuna, it was about 45 minutes of driving in pitch black cutting through unpaved mountain roads. I’m thankful there was no light to see the jagged cliffs we were driving along.
We were greeted by our wonderful guide who is an astronomy hobbyist with an impressive telescope. It was an intimate experience of a group of four of us, and he showed and talked us through pretty much anything a novice astronomer would want to know about. We saw dying stars, near and distant galaxies, and my personal favourites, the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.
After just a few days in La Serena I felt we were just seeing the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more to do here, including kitesurfing, visits to nearby national parks, and local towns.
Don’t sleep on La Serena. There’s a lot waiting for you.
Written by Bianca Rodrigues
Bianca Rodrigues is a New York native now living in Santiago, Chile, blogging about her travels through this beautiful country.
She likes eating brownies, drinking Carmenere and watching celebrity interviews on late night TV.
