Chile Guide
El Norte Chico
The Elqui Valley
Quiet, rural and extremely beautiful, the ELQUI VALLEY unfolds east from La Serena and into the Andes. Irrigated by canals fed by the Puclara and La Laguna dams, the valley floor is given over entirely to cultivation – of papayas, custard apples (chirimoyas), oranges, avocados and, most famously, the vast expanses of grape vines grown to produce pisco. It's the fluorescent green of these vines that makes the valley so stunning, forming a spectacular contrast with the charred, brown hills that rise on either side. Unfortunately, as the result of climate change – apparently brought about by the construction of the dams – fierce winds often blow along the valley off the reservoir, leading to the introduction of unsightly nylon windbreakers and protective netting to safeguard the delicate fruit from damage. Nonetheless, it's a lovely place. To get the full visual impact of the valley you need to visit between September and March, but this is a gorgeous region to spend a couple of days at any time of year.
Some 60km east of La Serena, appealing little Vicuña is the main town and transport hub of the Elqui Valley. Moving east from here, the valley gets higher and narrower and is dotted with tiny villages like Montegrande and the odd pisco distillery. The road from La Serena is paved for 105km as far as Pisco Elqui, a very pretty village that makes a great place to unwind for a couple of days. If you really want to get away from it all, head for one of the rustic cabañas dotted along the banks of the Río Cochiguaz, which forks east of the main valley at Montegrande, or delve beyond Pisco Elqui into the farthest reaches of the Elqui Valley itself. Buses will get you all the way to Horcón but not to the farthest village of all, Alcohuaz.