La Serena - Valle de Elqui

There is no doubt that Valley Elqui is one of the most recognized and talked about sights around La Serena. So, the day after my arrival, my friend and I loaded up the motorbike with provisions for two days and the very same morning left La Serena behind us. My Couch Surfing host Luie, strongly recommended us to take the motorbike, even though tour buses run regularly. - I did not regret it, the ride is incredible!

As soon as you get out of La Serena you begin to surround yourself with a completely different scenery of impressive mountain chains on both sides. The longer you drive onward towards Vicuña, the more the road starts to curve as you navigate through valleys and alongside the extensive mountainsides. As beautiful as the view is from the road, as demanding of your attention is the road from the snake-like curves. Before and after the tunnel by the river dam, you will find excellent view-points for great photos of the landscape.

Vicuña is a small town which did not seem to offer that much but a stay to eat, relax, and book astronomic tours for starwatching. There is one centre in town, but also in Valley Elqui so we didn´t stay for too long. Don´t forget to check out the Empanada place, they serve over three-hundred types of empanadas! There is also the museum of Nobel prize winner Gabriela Mistral, with a collection of personal items and a library open for the public. I regret we didn´t have the time to stop by. : /


After passing through some (very small) villages, we finally arrived in Pisco Elqui. With a population of just over a thousand people, one square outside the church, and a few bars, it did not take long to find our way around and sort out a hostel. For food, we passed by some expensive looking restaurants close to the main square, and found a vendor selling empanadas and some very delicious french fries farther along the road that we once had come! 

The astronomic tours costs around 7-12 thousand pesos, and from our hostel included a ride to and back from the observation centre. Mainly because we were lacking cash, we decided to do our own tour. So we borrowed a flash light from the hostel, and after the sun had properly set, we marched up one of the neighbouring "hills" to watch the very impressive night sky. It took us a good 30-40 min to get to a decent height above the village, and it was worth every meter of accent. 

So, on the way back we took some time to shoot some pics of the stunningly beautiful landscapes. But as beautiful as the vine covered mountain sides really are, with the various Pisco wineries neatly organized around the valleys, I could not but remember what I had been told just the night before. My friend lived in the valley many years ago before the Pisco plantations were set up, where a magical landscape had once existed, with a brisk river flowing, and trees carrying fresh fruit for everyone. "Now we need to pay to import fruit. But money cannot buy back what was truly lost". - It reminds me of a song by Calle 13; Latioamérica (Don´t miss the video at the bottom!)

Change is inevitable, though it is always tough to hear about the permanent loss of such a loved and cherished place! - Here are some pics of the still stunningly beautiful landscape!

In the end, there is so much to do in the valleys surrounding Elqui, apart from enjoying the peaceful and harmonic atmosphere. I really would have liked to stay for at least a few more nights to fully breath in the spiritual breeze, explore the nearby valleys, and visit the numerous Pisco wineries in these parts. The hostels do have a lot of information. I also recommend doing some research on the internet beforehand. - Enjoy!