Valle de Elqui is the home of sparkling stars, wine vineyards, and Pisco distilleries. Four of my five weeks in Chile were spent in this mystical desert-like region, perfect for wandering hippies, located around 550 km north of Santiago. It runs along the Elqui River sprinkled with vineyards and towns at elevations up to 2,000 meters above sea level. Three hundred or more days of Sun per year make way for blue sunny skies that illuminate Rocky cliffs, a green valley, and running waters. When the light turns to darkness, midnight skies provide a backdrop for a spectacle of beautiful stars.
The remoteness allowed me to take a step back and slow down after a hectic backpacking schedule. I spent a month volunteering here at a really cool hostel called Cosmo Elqui (which may or may not be open when you read this), and I’m thankful for the great memories and friendships I made. I was searching for something unique and I got what I found. Sometimes you need to get away from popular backpacker routes and stay put in the middle of nowhere.
I arrived in late February at the end of high season and the start of Autumn and enjoyed the crisp weather at night. During the Summer months from December through February there are more events and festivals with most Chileans going on vacation around this time of year. Check to see what may be happening in the area during the season you plan to visit.
How I Got There
Coming from Santiago, it wasn’t difficult getting to Vicuña, the main town in the Elqui Valley. I took a bus from Terminal San Borja in Santiago to La Serena, a small coastal city along Chile’s northern coast and the closest city to Vicuña. The bus ride from Santiago is roughly 6 hours and is fairly cheap, between $10-20 (2025 prices).
From the terminal in La Serena, I took a colectivo (van/minibus) to Vicuña, which run about once per hour. The ride took 90 minutes give or take. Overall it was pretty straightforward. I recommend taking an early bus from Santiago in case you’d like to explore Santa Elena for a bit. Maybe you’d even like to spend a night there. There’s a large market there that I personally enjoyed.
Stargazing
The #1 thing to do here is stargaze late into the night. ‘La Ruta de las Estrellas’ is the famed name for the roadway through the Elqui Valley, renowned as one of the world’s centers for astronomy.
I did most of my stargazing at my hostel, no telescopes just my eyes. Sometimes I’d even stay up until 2-3AM finding that the stars become the brightest around that time. Certain hotels and other places with accommodation have telescopes and host private stargazing nights. Keep that in mind when searching for any place to stay.
In addition to my nightly viewing schedule, I had the great experience of joining a tour during which we visited an private observatory and were given a presentation under peak conditions with no no ambient light pollution. I was so comfortable as we laid down and listened to the presenter that I even fell asleep for a few minutes. It’s so easy to do under the night sky. Nonetheless, the tour was totally worth it. At the end we took professional photos with all the stars behind us.
TIP – Try to visit Elqui Valley during the new moon phase for the least amount of light pollution. Avoid the full moon.
There are a variety of observatories and tours to choose from when visiting. Take your time in selecting one that offers what you are looking for. You will have more to choose from if you speak Spanish. If not, there are tours offered in English.
According to most of my research, the absolutely optimal time to stargaze in Elqui Valley is during the winter (June to August) due to the minimal amount of moisture in the air. Typically a winter night will have a temperature around 7 degrees celsius (45 Fahrenheit)
Don’t stop yourself going in another time of year though, every month is good in general. The desert climate offers fairly optimal conditions all year round. However, I won’t fail to mention that while I was there in March I do recall a few cloudy nights where visibility wasn’t as great as usual. Hence I recommend staying here for a little while to soak in the views and energy.
Visiting a Pisco Distillery
When I first tasted Pisco, I described it as some sort of South American bourbon with a more sophisticated taste and a lighter aftertaste. If I had to compare it to something that was the best I could do. I also found that my favorite bottle was over 40 proof – the stronger the better if it is sourced from high quality producers.
For those that don’t know, Pisco is a Spirit distilled from fermented grapes (basically wine). And guess what? Elqui Valley is one of the only 2 regions of Chile (Coquimbo) that are designated to produce it due to its abundance of local grape varieties. The other region in which Pisco is produced is Atacama, located further north.
In Chile, regulation for the production process is known to be strict. Chilean distilleries are required to grow their own grapes and are grouped into two categories based in aromatic qualities. Do some research and learn about Pisco’s fascinating origins. After that, take a tour at one of the distilleries to learn about the entire production process from beginning to end, followed by a tasting of different varieties of Pisco such as Corriente, Especial, Reservado, and Gran Pisco.
In my opinion, any tour relating to the fabrication of something artisanal quality is almost almost always worth it. From cacao, coffee, blankets, rugs, alcohol, sombreros, regional food specialties, you usually can’t go wrong!
Horseback Riding
This was my first time horseback riding and at first I could barely get on the horse! I must admit I was nervous, but after a little while, I felt really comfortable and enjoyed a nice stroll through the desert under the warm Sun. Usually I end up renting a bicycle to traverse these kinds of landscapes. Riding a horse was a worthy alternative. It added another dimension to the experience of being in a new place.
It wasn’t like there were a bunch of other tour operators and tourists going down a specific trail, which was cool. It felt more like were were wandering through undiscovered terrain. I typically don’t partake in ‘animal tourism’, but in this case I felt like I wasn’t involved in anything exploitative.
I was happy to do what we were doing and was thankful for our guide for his expertise and knowledge of the area. If you plan on spending a few days in the Valley, consider a tour like this.
Explore
There are plenty of cool things to do in this mystical region of Chile if you have time to venture off the beaten path. This is for the long term traveler who likes to get a taste of local tourism and has extra time on his or her hands to make random discoveries.
You can find towns to buy handmade crafts, short hikes with nice views, vineyards, natural pools, and chill people. My experience was more local considering the fact I was working and living like a normal person in a way. If I did a hike it was more off script just walking around the area, following the Elqui river, and running into a tiny forest and some natural pools with my friends from the hostel.
It was that kind of thing for me, so I can’t give you a traditional “things to do” blog. I can just relay the vibes. It’s far from touristic in a foreigner sense and is mainly a hub for Chilean explorers. That’s what makes it great.
