The Top 10 Things To See And Do In La Serena, Chile

At the southern point of the Atacama Desert is the Elqui Valley. Ideally visited as a day-trip or overnight camping excursion from La Serena, it is a place of outstanding natural beauty. Its most notable feature is its clear skies – the clearest in the southern hemisphere – and consequently it is worth staying until a little later in the day when the sun sets and millions of stars can be seen. It has also been associated in the past with extra-terrestrial phenomena, and is home to a number of observatories that can be visited if booked in advance. Additionally, there are a number of distilleries in the area producing pisco, a Chilean form of brandy, which is worth a try.

La Serena is home to 29 churches in total, which is a disproportionately large number for a city of its size. The main cathedral is on the central square, Plaza de Armas, and is surprisingly low-key compared to the more usual city cathedrals. The inside is not in the typical ostentatious Catholic style, but is instead decorated quite simply with a modest painted ceiling as its main feature. Other notable churches include Iglesia Santo Domingo with its unique bell tower, and Iglesia San Francisco, which was built in the early 1600s, making it La Serena’s oldest church.

La Serena Cathedral, Plaza de Armas

Iglesia Santo Domingo, Plaza de Armas

Iglesia San Francisco, Balmaceda 640

Given the number of beach areas in La Serena, there are plenty of places for visitors to indulge in some watersport activities, including surfing and windsurfing. Many of the beaches, especially the ones closer to the lighthouse, have strong currents which are not safe for swimmers but are ideal for surfers (if a beach has signs saying ‘No Apta’, that means it is not safe to swim). There are plenty of small local businesses along the beachfront offering equipment rentals or lessons. During the summer months the beaches closer to the town, including Playa El Faro, can get very busy and congested – some quieter alternatives include Playa Tongoy and Playa Totoralillo.

Punta de Choros is a couple of hours drive away from La Serena, so a day trip is recommended. Visitors will find an array of marine wildlife, including dolphins, sea lions, whales (if you’re very lucky), and in particular Humboldt penguins. From Punta de Choros (the town itself is not particularly exciting), visitors can take a boat out to one of the three islands that make up the Humboldt Penguin National Park, with the option of staying on the boat and watching the wildlife from afar or getting off onto one of the islands (at extra cost). It is best to book a tour in advance, with EcoTurismo being one of the most popular tour companies.

Fray Jorge National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere reserve, due to its abundance of woodland and consequent ecosystem. The highlight is the cloud forest, which is a quite a contrast from the semi-arid desert that visitors pass through on the drive from La Serena – especially given the distinct drop in temperature as you go higher up the mountain. There is not a lot of wildlife (mainly birds and small forest animals), but the attraction of it is the enchanting and eerie atmosphere of a wet forest in the middle of the Atacama desert.