Chile Guide
El Norte Chico
Ovalle
Ovalle's main claim to fame is as the birthplace of one of the country's outstanding contemporary writers, Luis Sepúlveda. It's also a good base for exploring the deeply rural Limarí Valley, home to a few low-key but worthwhile attractions. To the northeast, a scenic road – an alternative route to Vicuña and the Elqui Valley – winds slowly up into the mountains, passing ancient petrified wood stumps at Pichasca and the delightful oasis village of Hurtado, which is the main settlement along the dramatic but seldom visited Hurtado Valley. If you head west, you'll find a concentration of rock carvings in the Valle del Encanto, a hot springs resort at the Termas de Socos and the impressive cloudforest reserve of Parque Nacional Fray Jorge, attracting an increasing number of visitors.