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Day 1: La Serena - Hurtado
Valley (170 km / 107 km)
Pick up your car at the airport or
rental office in La Serena. Before
you depart for the Hurtado Valley,
you can visit the historical
center of La Serena and the interesting
port of Coquimbo. From
la Serena you will drive southeast
to the city of Ovalle. From
here you will drive up into the
Andes, following the river Hurtado
until you reach the colonialstyle
Hacienda Los Andes high
up in the Hurtado Valley.
Overnight at the Hacienda. (B)
Day 2: Hurtado Valley
Today you will have all day to
explore the diverse natural
scenery of the Hurtado Valley. It
is a valley where time seems to
stand still. Visit several small historical
villages; enjoy the beautiful
landscape of perfectly cultivated
green fields set against the
immense Andean slopes, or visit
a petrified forest. At the hacienda
itself there are various walking
trails as well as horseback
riding excursions. Overnight at
Hacienda Los Andes. (B)
Day 3: Hurtado Valley –
Elqui Valley
(100 km / 63 mi)
Today you will cross the Andean
foothills from south to north, driving
from the Hurtado Valley to
the Elqui Valley. On the way you
will enjoy spectacular views of
the Andes and both valleys. The
Elqui Valley is famous for the cultivation
of grapes, edible ones
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as well as for the characteristic
Chilean drink Pisco Sour. Drive
into the valley and pass historical
villages like Vicuña, Monte
Grande and Pisco Elqui. You will
arrive at your hotel Elqui Domos
in the afternoon. This “Astrohotel”
offers exclusive domeshaped
rooms with a detachable
ceiling and private telescope in
each “room”. In the late afternoon
you can observe the
incredible clear sky from your
private Domo or choose to make
an optional tour to the observatory
of Mamalluca, close to the village
of Vicuña. Overnight at
Elqui Domos. (B)
Day 4: Elqui Valley –
La Serena (120 km / 76 mi)
Today you will have time to
explore some of the small villages
in the Elqui Valley. In
Vicuña you can visit a small
museum dedicated to Gabriela
Mistral, the first Latin American
woman to win the Nobel Price
for Literature and was born here.
In the afternoon you leave the
dry valley behind and arrive at
the attractive beaches of the
Pacific Ocean. Overnight at
resort on the shore of the Pacific
Ocean. (B)
Day 5: La Serena - Drop off
(20 km / 13 mi)
After breakfast you will make
your final trip to return your car
either at the La Serena Airport or
the downtown rental office. (B)
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