Must-see attractions in La Serena

  • 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…

  • Museo Arqueológico

    Inside a crescent-shaped building with a leafy patio, this museum makes an ambitious attempt to corral Chile's pre-Columbian past. Its highlights include…

  • Plaza de Armas

    The heart of the colonial center is the palm-filled Plaza de Armas. The picturesque square makes a fine place for a stroll with a bit of people-watching…

  • Patio Colonial

    Tucked off Balmaceda, this small, picturesque lane is dotted with shops and eateries. The patio in back feels like a secret getaway from the city-center…

  • Iglesia San Francisco

    The granddaddy of all La Serena's churches is a colonial marvel, two blocks southeast of the plaza and built in the early 1600s. It's a stone construction…

  • Mercado La Recova

    La Serena's most vibrant market offers a jumble of dried fruits, rain sticks and artisan jewelry, plus a wide range of Andean wool clothing and crafts. It…

  • Iglesia Santo Domingo

    The dainty-looking bell tower of Iglesia Santo Domingo looks as though it should have a twirling ballerina inside. The tower is a later addition, only a…

  • Iglesia Catedral

    The handsome neoclassical Iglesia Catedral dates from 1844; it also has a sobering museum of religious art.

  • Tribunales

    Tribunales was built as a result of González Videla’s Plan Serena.

  • Municipalidad

    Pop your head inside to check out photos of the city's past.