La Serena

La Serena, Chile's second-oldest city, with several venerable churches and pleasant beaches, got off to a shaky start. Founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia in 1544, La Serena was destroyed by the Diaguitas only four years later. But the Spaniards weren't about to give in, so they rebuilt the city on its original site. Near the mouth of the Río Elqui, La Serena slowly grew until it was visited by British pirate Bartholomew Sharp, who sacked and burned it in a three-day rampage in 1680. Once again the city was rebuilt, and by the time of the silver boom in the late 19th century, it was thriving. Besides sightseeing, use your time in La Serena to take care of any banking or medical needs since you'll find fewer services in other towns in the area.