379 km from Santiago · straight line
Elqui Valley
Sky, valley and silence. The furthest point on the route.
- On the list
- Long weekend
- Possible with connections
Photograph: ZKP · CC BY 2.5
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Cartography: OpenStreetMap
How to get there
Recommended option
Night bus or a flight to La Serena, then transport on to Vicuña and the valley.
Possible with connections
- Departure point
- Santiago, northbound bus terminals, or the airport
- Arrival point
- La Serena, and from there Vicuña
- Final leg
- There is local transport between the valley towns, but moving freely between observatories and distilleries is simpler with a vehicle or a tour.
- Booking
- Observatory visits are booked ahead and depend on the moon phase.
- Limitations
- It is the longest journey on the list: it does not fit into a short weekend.
Schedules, fares and conditions may change. Check the latest information before travelling.
Reviewed: 2026-08-04 · Chile de Finde estimate
Why it's worth the trip
Because it's the destination that closes the route: the furthest, the one that demands the most days and the one least like Santiago. You mostly come here for the night sky.
Landscape
A narrow green valley wedged between dry hills, with small towns, vines and pisco distilleries. It has some of the clearest skies on the planet, which is why astronomical observatories cluster here. Gabriela Mistral came from this valley, born in Vicuña.
- Valley
- Mountain
What the trip could look like
Several days: valley towns by day, stargazing by night and a deliberately slow rhythm.
An idea of how the day would go.
Who this destination is for
A good fit if
- Anyone with a long weekend or holidays
- Astronomy
- Anyone wanting the long trip of the year
Maybe not if
- An ordinary weekend: it's too far for two days
Worth knowing
- Stargazing depends on the moon phase: check the calendar first.
- Nights are cold even in summer because of the altitude and dry climate.
Sources
Other destinations
Aguas de Ramón
The ravine that starts where the city ends, with a waterfall at the far end.
- Recommended duration A day
- Without a car Easy without a car
- How to get there Local bus
Cajón del Maipo and San José de Maipo
The valley Santiago uses as its mountain backyard: a town with services and, higher up, a long scattered territory.
- Recommended duration A day
- Without a car Possible with connections
- How to get there Local bus
Yerba Loca
A whole glacial valley an hour from the city. The gate of the Andes.
- Recommended duration A day
- Without a car Car or transfer recommended
- How to get there Car