La Serena, a pretty colonial city with lots of churches, museums, parks, colonial
buildings and a very long beach, where you can walk from the lighthouse to the
next town, Coquimbo.

Coquimbo is the poorer twin city of La Serena with typical Chilean street life. Here
you can walk up to the enormous "Cruz del Milenio" (Crucifix of the Millenium) and
enjoy the various dishes of fish and seafood in simple restaurants at the picturesque
harbor. Maybe you want to make a cruise around the bend of the bay, passing the
typical yellow fishermen's boats and some of the small islands where you can see
pelicans and sea lions.

An absolute must is a day tour to the North to the Humboldt National Park, where
you'll make a trip in a fisherman's boat to the fabulous " Isla Damas". Near the "Isla
Choros" you can observe penguins, sea lions, dolphins and sometimes-even whales
in their natural habitat. An unforgettable experience!

In the outback the famous and sunny Elqui Valley will dazzle you: a green oasis in
between overwhelming hills, which are the beginning of the Andes mountain range.
This valley is also known as the "esoteric" valley because of its special energetic vibes.

In the observatory Mamalluca near Vicuña, every night there are tours for
amateurs, in English if you want. Use this opportunity to let yourself be enchanted by
the firmament filled with star s and learn some basic astronomy while you're at it.

The more scientific observatory Tololo with its futuristic atmosphere is open every
Saturday and can only be visited when you have made reservations in advance.

The Laguna consists of a dam and lake situated at 3300 meter, near the Argentinean
border. The colors of the Andes are one of the most beautiful sights of Chile. For this
trip you need to rent a car.

Furthermore we can recommend the National park Fray Jorge with its special
"micro climate", the Valle del Encanto with aboriginal pythroglyphs, the Pichasca
wood that became stony, and the gold miners' town Andacollo.

Drive around the untouched nature of the Hurtado Valley in an adventurous trip
over dirt roads surrounded by gigantic lonely mountainous area.

To the south you will find that the beautiful beaches of Totoralillo, Guanaqueros
and Tongoy are worth a visit. Here you can relax, surf and enjoy some great fish
and seafood in one of the restaurants.

Additionally there are possibilities for hikes, horseback riding, water sports etc.