Coquimbo · Chile Capital
In the destination Vale do Elqui.
In the photo: Faro Monumental de La Serena
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
La Serena, capital of the Coquimbo region, was founded in 1544 and is known for its stone churches. In the center are the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the Iglesia de San Francisco, the Museo Arqueológico, the La Recova market and the Parque Japonés Kokoro No Niwa. On the coast are the Faro Monumental and the beaches of the Avenida del Mar; nearby, Coquimbo hosts the Cruz del Tercer Milenio and the Barrio Inglés. To the north, the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt offers boat trips.
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The local experience
Central square of La Serena, on the site where the city was refounded in 1549. It has a stone fountain, palm trees and jacarandas, and around it are the Catedral, neoclassical public buildings and the Museo Histórico Gabriel González Videla.
Neoclassical limestone Catedral, begun in 1844 opposite the Plaza de Armas. It houses French stained glass, a large organ and the tomb of the founder Francisco de Aguirre. It is a National Monument.
The first stone church of La Serena, completed in 1627 by the Franciscans, a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas. It escaped the pirate-set fire of 1680 and has been a Historic Monument since 1977.
A state museum founded in 1943, with Diaguita pottery, pieces from the El Molle culture and a moai brought from Easter Island. It is housed in a Plano Serena building about 500 meters from Plaza de Armas.
A craft market and northern Chile products market in downtown La Serena: papaya sweets, pisco, lapis-lazuli and combarbalita items, Andean wools and restaurants on the upper floor.
Japanese garden of 26,000 square meters opened in 1994, about 400 meters from the Plaza de Armas, with an artificial lake, traditional bridge, waterfall, rock garden and carp. The name means 'garden of the heart'.
Neocolonial lighthouse about 25 meters tall, built between 1950 and 1951 at the start of Avenida del Mar, the beachfront that links La Serena to Coquimbo. It is a National Monument and a symbol of the city.
Concrete cross over 80 meters tall on Cerro El Vigía in Coquimbo, about 15 km from La Serena. It has a chapel, museum, prayer plaza and viewpoint overlooking the bays of Coquimbo and La Serena.
Neighborhood of 19th-century English-style mansions in downtown Coquimbo, around Plaza Vicuña Mackenna and facing the bay, with cultural centers, cafés, bars and restaurants.
A CONAF reserve with three islands in the Pacific, between the Coquimbo and Atacama regions. Boats depart from Caleta Punta de Choros, circle Isla Choros and stop at Isla Damas, where you can disembark. Penguins, sea lions and dolphins live in the area.
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