La Serena walking tour & city guide

The city

The Plaza de Armas and the cathedral are surrounded by colonial-style buildings. The Japanese Garden is a peaceful park. The Faro Monumental lighthouse stands on the beach.

Elqui Valley

The Elqui Valley, inland, has some of the clearest skies in the world, observatories and pisco distilleries.

A day in La Serena

La Serena is a pleasant mix of colonial city and beach town. Walk through the center, admiring the stone churches and the Recova market, where you can buy papaya sweets and crafts. The Japanese Garden is a peaceful oasis.

In the afternoon, walk along the Avenida del Mar to the Faro Monumental. In the evening, head to the Elqui Valley for a stargazing tour.

Good to know

La Serena is next to Coquimbo, a port with a huge cross and a fish market. The Elqui Valley is home to small villages, pisco distilleries and observatories.

Summer is busy with Chilean holidaymakers.

Why it is special

Founded in 1544, La Serena is Chile's second-oldest city, and its center has an unusual number of stone churches, more than 30, earning it the nickname 'city of bells'. Its long beach, lined with apartment blocks and restaurants, stretches all the way to Coquimbo. Inland, the Elqui Valley has some of the clearest skies in the world, which is why many international observatories are built in the region. The valley is also the birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning poet Gabriela Mistral.