Chile Guide
El Norte Chico
A land of rolling, sun-baked hills streaked with sudden river valleys that cut across the earth in a flash of green, the NORTE CHICO, or "Little North", of Chile is what geographers call a "transitional zone". Its semi-arid scrubland and sparse vegetation mark the transformation from the country's fertile heartland to the barren deserts bordering Peru and Bolivia. From the Santiago perspective, the region is dubbed Norte Chico to distinguish it from the Norte Grande, or Great North. Starting somewhere around the Río Aconcagua, just north of Santiago, it stretches all the way to Taltal, and the southernmost reaches of the Atacama, more than 800km further north.
The largest population centre – and one of the country's most fashionable seaside resorts – is La Serena, its pleasing, colonial-style architecture and lively atmosphere making it one of the few northern cities worth visiting for its own sake. It's also an ideal base for exploring the beautiful Elqui Valley, immortalized in the verses of the Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral, and home to luxuriant vines and idyllic riverside hamlets. Less well-known but even more dramatic, the Hurtado Valley, to the south, features virgin trekking territory whichcan be reached from the unassuming market town of Ovalle. Just down the coast from La Serena lies the Parque Nacional Fray Jorge, with a microclimate that supports a small, damp cloudforest – rather mangy compared to the great forests of the south but quite extraordinary in this landscape of brittle shrubs and cactus plants.
The Norte Chico also boasts a string of superb beaches, some totally deserted and many of them tantalizingly visible from the Panamericana as you enter the region, to the north of Santiago. Bahía Inglesa, is famous throughout Chile for its turquoise waters, though increasingly prolific algae is turning the bay greener.
Highlights
1 Feria Modelo de Ovalle Wander this food market and fill your bags with plump olives, giant pumpkins, ripe tomatoes and very smelly cheeses.
2 Cerro Mamalluca observatory Observe the unbelievably limpid night skies at this public-friendly observatory.
3 La Serena Chile's second-oldest city offers long beaches, beautiful churches and a lively ambience.
4 Planta Capel Sample the fiery, fruity brandy, Chile's national drink, straight from the barrel at the Elqui Valley's largest distillery.
5 Horse-riding around Pisco Elqui Pretend you're in the Wild West as you gallop through Chile's untrammeled northern plains.
6 Nevado de Tres Cruces One of the country's least-known national parks, with emerald-green lakes, snow-capped volcanoes and plentiful wildlife.