Elqui Valley
A Dry Andean Valley Known For Its Astronomical Skies, Pisco Distilleries And The Poet Gabriela Mistral; Home Of The Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary · Vicuna, Coquimbo
The Elqui Valley is a narrow green strip of vineyards and orchards winding into the Andes east of La Serena, hemmed in by bare brown mountains under one of the clearest skies on earth. Dry air, altitude and almost no light pollution have made it a centre of astronomy: professional observatories stand on the ridges, and a string of tourist observatories offer nights at the telescope, while part of the area was declared the Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary, one of the first places in the world to receive that status. By day the valley is about pisco, the grape brandy Chile shares with Peru, made in distilleries in Vicuna and the village of Pisco Elqui from the muscat grapes on the slopes. It is also the land of Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, who was born in Vicuna and is buried in Montegrande. The upper valley has a relaxed, spiritual atmosphere, with small lodges, solar cooking and yoga retreats. La Serena, on the coast, is about an hour away.
Plaza de Armas, Vicuna, Coquimbo, Vicuna, Coquimbo, Chile
The valley is open at all times. Tourist observatories run evening sessions that must be booked and are cancelled when cloud comes in; sessions around the new moon fill first. Pisco distilleries give tours through the day. Museums in Vicuna close one day a week.