Fodor's Expert Review Iglesia Catedral

With its central location in the beautiful Plaza de Armas, this imposing cathedral—the largest church in La Serena—is a great place to start your city tour. French architect Jean Herbage built the behemoth using stone from the Soldado mine in 1844 in the so-called Serena style of arches and columns, but it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that the bell tower was added. The church is open to the public.