Subscribe

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Norte Chico

For such a small sliver of land, Chile's Norte Chico (Little North) offers up fantastic diversity. La Serena, a coastal colonial capital and the region's largest city, is a must-see for anybody visiting. From there, move on to the mystical Elqui Valley: the verdant home to Chile's pisco producers, new-age communes and cutting-edge observatories. Further north are some amazing national parks, a trendy little beach hideaway, and miles of uncharted coastline just waiting for you to set up camp or charge out for an afternoon surf.

Wildlife lovers won't want to miss the playful penguins of Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt and Parque Nacional Pan de Azúcar. And high in the Andes, the seldom-visited Parque Nacional Nevado Tres Cruces is a great place to spot vicuña and flamingos. Despite its diminutive moniker, the Little North is actually quite a bit bigger than most people expect.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Norte Chico.

  • See

    Cervecería Guayacan

    You won't get far in the Elqui Valley without someone offering you a Guayacan, and if you're even vaguely interested in beer, you should accept. This little craft brewery's reputation is growing fast, and brief tours of the facilities are accompanied by a generous sampling of its products. The brewery is in the small village of Diaguitas, about 7km east of downtown Vicuña, and there's an inviting beer garden serving up tasty pizzas and burgers (mains CH$5000 to CH$7000) from Wednesday to Sunday.

  • See

    Museo Gabriela Mistral

    The town's landmark Museo Gabriela Mistral, between Riquelme and Baquedano, celebrates one of Chile's most famous literary figures. Gabriela Mistral was born Lucila Godoy Alcayaga in 1889 in Vicuña. The museum charts her life (in Spanish only), from a replica of her adobe birthplace to her Nobel Prize, and has a clutch of busts making her seem a particularly strict schoolmarm.

  • See

    Jardín del Corazón

    With its trickling brooks, drifting swans and neatly manicured rock gardens, this Japanese garden makes an idyllic escape from the city bustle. Don't miss the greenhouse collection of adorable bonsai trees in diminutive forms of ciruela (cherry), higuera (fig) and ficus trees.

  • See

    Observatorio Interamericano Cerro Tololo

    Probing the mysteries of stars billions of miles into the past is all in a night's work at the futuristic Observatorio Interamericano Cerro Tololo, which sits at 2200m atop its hill. And while visitors can't stargaze through its monstrous telescopes (even the astronomers don't do that as the telescopes first feed data into computer monitors), a daytime tour of the facilities is still an enlightening experience. Operated by the Tucson-based Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA, a group of about 25 institutions, including the Universidad de Chile), Tololo has an enormous 4m telescope. Free bilingual tours take place on Saturday only; make reservations at least one month ahead in high season. Two-hour tours are held at 9am and 1pm. There is no public transportation so rent a car or taxi, or arrange to come with a tour operator (you'll still need to make your own reservations with the observatory). After making reservations, pick up a permit to visit the facility from their administrative office in La Serena.

  • See

    Observatorio Cerro Mamalluca

    The star of the stargazing show, the purpose-built Observatorio Cerro Mamalluca, 9km northeast of Vicuña, is Elqui Valley's biggest attraction. So big, in fact, that you're likely to share the tour with hordes of other tourists, all looking for their chance to goggle at distant galaxies, star clusters and nebulae through a 30cm telescope. Bilingual guided two-hour tours take place nightly every hour between 8:30pm and 2:30am in summer and between 6:30pm and 11:30pm in winter. Make reservations through the Mamalluca office in Vicuña; advance booking is recommended. There is no public transportation, but a minivan takes visitors from the Vicuña office (reserve in advance, per person CH$3000). Some La Serena tour agencies arrange trips, or you can hire a taxi in Vicuña.

  • See

    Mausoleo Gabriela Mistral

    The gravesite of Gabriela Mistral lies on a hillside just south of Montegrande's main plaza. A winding path to the top is lined with quotes and biographical details about the famous poet, providing a fine tribute to her extraordinary life. Although the signage is in Spanish, photographs help illustrate her life, with images of Mistral alongside her longtime friend (and presumed lover) Doris Dana on various travels in Mexico and at their US home in Roslyn Harbor. The quote on her grave reads, 'Lo que el alma hace por el cuerpo es lo que el artista hace por su pueblo' ('What the soul does for the body is what the artist does for her people').

  • See

    Observatorio Collowara

    Like Mamalluca, the shiny hilltop Observatorio Collowara in Andacollo is built for tourists; no serious interstellar research is conducted here. Two-hour tours run in summer at 9:30pm, 11pm and 12:30am; in winter they are at 8pm and 10:30pm. The facility boasts three viewing platforms and a 40cm telescope – slightly larger than that at Mamalluca. There are also three smaller telescopes available, so you won't have to wait for long. There are plenty of accommodations in Andacollo, 54km from La Serena and connected by bus (CH$2200, 1½ hours) and colectivo (CH$2800, one hour).

  • See

    Planta Pisco Capel

    Capel distills pisco at this facility and has its only bottling plant here. Located about 2km (a 20-minute walk) southeast of town, this large pisco maker offers 45-minute tours of the facilities, which includes an on-site museum and a few skimpy samples (CH$15,000 gets you the premium tour, with snacks and tastings of six top-shelf piscos). To get here, head southeast of town and across the bridge, then turn left. There's also a mixology tour, where the distillery visit is followed by a lesson in making the perfect cocktail (CH$8000). Call ahead for English-language tours.

  • See

    Centro Otzer Ling

    A Buddhist stupa in a remote corner of northern Chile? You'll think you took a wrong turn off the Panamericana and somehow ended up in the Himalaya rather than the Andes. Built in 2016, this evocative snow-white monument, complete with Tibetan prayer flags flapping in the breeze, looks all the more striking against the parched, mountainous backdrop. Plans are underway to eventually open a meditation center on the site, though fundraising has been slow-going.

Featured videos

Discover Chile's Elqui Valley

1:33