The Elqui Valley, near to the city of La Serena is one of the most beautiful places in Chile.

There is an area in Chile called ‘Norte Chico’ (small North) where beautiful landscapes and people lives. Going from the ocean to the Andes from the city of La Serena, you will find a valley with the most beautiful views, clear skies and unique culture.

The Elqui Valley is a basin surrounded with mountains and houses one of the most important rivers in the region. Located 467 km from Santiago and 62 km from La Serena. The route who goes inside this Valley is called the Route 41 and begins in La Serena and goes into in the Chilean Andes mountains and connecting with Argentina through the International Agua Negra Border, the nearest Province in Argentina is San Juan.

The current name of the Elqui River and Valley seem to come from the Quechua word ‘erque’ which mean ‘small’ and applies to very young children who cry a lot and are very thin and sickly.

The name would have given as the Elqui River flow is very weak and grows only at the time of the melting of the snow in the high mountains that occur during springtime. Today is greatly diminished thanks to a drought plaguing the region for the past five years.

The Elqui Valley is formed by the fertile lands located in the banks of the Elqui River which is coming down from the mountain range formed by two tributaries, Claro River and Turbio River. Down the valley, the river is controlled by the dam called Embalse Puclaro, which has a capacity to hold 200 million cubic meters of water. It has ideal conditions for water sports such as Windsurfing or Kitesurfing.

The mild weather of the region makes it possible to visit the area throughout all the year, with very few rainy days and the clear sky. Keep in mind that in the winter (May to August) nights can become very cold !

One of the singularities of this area is that is located in height and with a little rainy weather, the Elqui Valley has been a settlement for professional and touristic astronomic observatories. The road connecting the valley towns and observatories has been called ” La Ruta de las Estrellas” (The Road of Stars”).

The main attractions of the Elqui Valley

The Elqui Valley area is a land of farmers, artists, wine makers and is the place that gave rise to one of the most important Chilean poetess: Gabriela Mistral. Raised in Montegrande and is one of the few poetess who managed to publicize her work throughout the country and abroad.

Today you can visit her house, tomb and the school where she taught for many years. She made great poems dedicated to love and kids and was the very few feminists of her time.

Walking through the valley you will find small villages with colonial style houses and small churches. Some of them are Andacollo, Paihuano, Rivadavia, Diaguitas, Peralillo, San Isidro, El Tambo, El Molle, Las Rojas, Pisco Elqui and Algarrobito .

In the different areas of the Elqui Valley you can enjoy different outdoor activities; from stargazing, wine and pisco tastings, adventure sports, hiking, biking and horse riding.

One detail to  keep in mind when visiting this area is that most of the shops are usually closed between noon and 4 pm as people tend to have lunch with family and napping .

How to get there

By car or Bus

If you go from Santiago, the trip takes a little over six hours.

To get to Elqui Valley from La Serena, the journey takes about 45 minutes to reach the city of Vicuña.

There are Bus companies who run trips from bus terminals in La Serena and Coquimbo. They start at 8 am and the last bus returns at 8 pm from Pisco Elqui.

Approximate value (varies between winter and summer) $ 3000 ( about 5 USD)