9 Best Sights in El Norte Chico, Chile

Although there are more established observatories in the area, Alfa Aldea has made its mark on the astronomy world due to the flawless attention to detail and excellent customer service. With a glass of wine in hand, embark on a journey to the beginning of time as the dome above you transforms into an interactive and 3D exploration. While lounging among comfortable seating, carpeted floors, and blankets, a bilingual astronomer explains the inner workings of the universe. Afterward, you pop outside beneath the stars to peep at constellations, nebulas, planets, and the moon with a real telescope before listening to light transformed into sound waves by a radio telescope, one of the very few available to tourists in the area. You will need to book your visit here in advance.

One of the many tourist observatories to pop up across the region catering to the growing numbers of visitors keen to catch their own glimpse of the mysteries of the universe, Pangue—17 km (11 miles) south of Vicuña—boasts more firepower than most, with arguably the most powerful telescope in the region. Through the 16- and 25-inch telescopes, you can view solar systems, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. The standard tour allows enough time to see eight to 10 such phenomena, while budding stargazers are welcome to bring their own list, and tour guides can help you find them. Tours can be organized from the tour office at San Martín 233 in Vicuña and are available in English, French, and Spanish. Note that tours do not run for the week around each full moon.

Visiting a pisco vineyard is a great way to learn about the history of a product that has come to define the Elqui Valley, not to mention the perfect excuse to enjoy a relaxing glass of this tasty, fruity, aromatic drink in beautiful surroundings. At Centro Turístico Capel, just across the Elqui River from Vicuña, you can tour the bottling facility, well-groomed gardens, and artisan’s gallery before tasting several piscos.

Devotees of the Virgen de Lourdes, the town's patron saint, consider this hill a place of pilgrimage. Overlooking the city, it affords a great view of Vicuña. It's a 2-km (1-mile) hike north of the city via a poorly maintained trail that can be litter strewn, yet the summit is well worth it.

Head up in the evening to see the surrounding hills in the Elqui Valley bathed in deep reds and oranges by the setting sun.

A huge steeple tops this 1909 church facing the central square. It has some pretty ceiling paintings and an image of the Virgen del Carmen carried by Chilean troops during the War of the Pacific. The wooden, fire-engine-red Torre Bauer, next to the church, was prefabricated in Germany.

An expansive tribute to Vicuña’s favorite daughter, the Gabriela Mistral Museum gathers a wide array of artifacts from the writer’s life, including handwritten letters, poems, and a signed copy of Canto General given to her by her compatriot and fellow Nobel Prize winner, Pablo Neruda. A pleasant garden behind the main salon pays tribute to Mistral’s love of nature.

The most welcoming of the Elqui Valley observatories and the one that attracts the most visitors, Mamalluca is 9 km (6 miles) north of Vicuña. On the Basic Astronomy tour, visitors are given an introductory talk before stargazing on the terrace and taking turns looking through a 12-inch digital telescope at sights including the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. Another tour focuses more on the Andean interpretation of the constellations. Tours should be booked at least a month in advance during spring and summer. You can either make your own way to the observatory or contract transport from the tour office in Vicuña at 5,000 pesos per person.

This small, family-run distillery is known for producing several premium piscos that are consistently winning awards and international accolades. The free 40-minute tour includes a tasting; make sure you try the variety made with maqui, a berry native to the southern forests of Chile and Argentina. The distillery is located just off the road between Vicuña and Pisco Elqui.

A pleasant stop along the drive between Vicuña and Pisco Elqui, this family-owned boutique vineyard uses natural processes to produce several much-praised wines. Production is limited, and the wine is sold only here at the vineyard. Tours by the affable staff include a visit of the original ancestral home, which now houses the wine cellar. Tours are free but purchase of the wine tasting glass is necessary and not included in the cost.