Downtown La Serena is one of the most architecturally European (and traditional) in Chile. Photo via Nico Kaiser on Flickr.
La Serena is the second oldest European city in Chile, and was founded in 1544 (just three years after Santiago). The historic downtown has several old buildings of interest, including the cathedral. But La Serena’s main pull for Chileans is its perfect location along a long strip of coastline, with markedly warmer waters than you’d find down in the middle of the country, where the Humboldt current cools the water significantly. La Serena is a popular summertime destination, which includes La Serena itself, as well as the nearby beach towns of Guanaqueros and Tongoy. And if the weather’s cool or misty, which it can be, a quick trip up into the nearby nearly always sunny Elqui Valley will warm you right up.
Here’s a list of a few things to keep you entertained in La Serena, as well as a few just a bit farther afield.
Plaza de Armas
The plaza is still in its original location from 450 years ago and is a leafy place to sit and enjoy the city like a serenense. Some of the city’s more attractive and historical buildings line the plaza, including the Iglesia Catedrál, some of the walls of which date from 1844. Many of these more elaborate structures, such as the building that houses the Museo Arqueologico (which is also worth a visit) were fueled by the silver boom, but much of the city’s original structure no longer stands, due to an earthquake in the 1700s. Even so, La Serena has perhaps the strongest Spanish architectural presence among the cities of Chile, with no high rises or ultramodern buildings built within the traditional downtown.
Avenida del Mar
This is the street that runs along the beach in La Serena a few kilometers from the city center. It is largely non-commercialized, with no tall buildings blocking the view of the 6-kilometer long beach. There is a small lighthouse at one end with a visitor’s center. The beaches are sand, not rocks, and with the exception of summertime, the beach is largely empty. In summer (mainly January and February) it can be hard to get real estate here, as out-of-towners (many of them from Santiago) flock here to take in the summer sun, staying at nearby apart hotels and cabañas.
La Recova
The Recova is small, two-story market built in a building of Spanish style, with an arched colonnade. Inside vendors sell local specialties including snacks made from the Chilean papaya (also called mountain papaya or carica papaya), such as syrups, candied fruit and dried fruit. High quality handicrafts are also sold, in wood and wool, and some of which are made from combarbalita, a semi precious stone that has been used since pre-Hispanic times, and is mined nearby in the town of Combarbalá. The stone is of volcanic origin, but is smooth like marble and has pastel hues leaning towards pink and purple. Small ornamental items and boxes and carvings are popular combarbalita souvenirs. The second floor of the Recova has a number of pleasant eateries serving traditional Chilean foods such as machas a la parmesana (razor clams with melted cheese), and the never-miss caldillo de congrio, a brothy fish soup that is one of Chile’s favorites.
Coquimbo
Past La Serena, in the more industrial nearby (about 7 miles away) city of Coquimbo, there are two constructions of religious interest, one being the Cruz del Tercer Milenio (Cross of the Third Milennium) which is a giant cross, visible from across the bay in La Serena. It has become a minor pilgrimage site and tourism site, and you can actually visit the interior, from which you’ll get the most expansive view of the bay. The small museum inside details the building of the cross. Also nearby is the colorful mosque, which accepts visitors by appointment. Coquimbo is also known for having a lively fish market where you can have anything from ceviche in a disposable cup, to a seafood empanada, to a sit-down meal of fish with salad, rice, french fries or mashed potatoes.
And if, like as for many travelers, La Serena is a stop for you on the way further north, consider taking a tour of Chile’s Norte Grande including geysers, flamingoes and everything else the Atacama desert has to offer.
