Vicuña

Vicuña, with a population of 25,000 in 2012, is the largest town in Valle de Elqui, Northern Chile. Vicuña is a major center for producing pisco, a brandy made in Chile and Peru. You can visit the nearby pisco distilleries.

Understand
The area is dominated by a mountainous backdrop, and extensive plains on the valley floor, where high-quality grapes for pisco are grown, along with other fruits and vegetables. The La Punilla, Atimonate, Balalita, Los Tilos mountain ranges contain several peaks with altitudes over 4,000 m. Cooperativa Agrícola Pisquera Elqui Limitada (CAPEL) runs the main pisco distillery in the zone. Economic activity centers on the culture of grapes, fruits, cereals, and vegetables. Other industries include sheep ranching and iron and copper mining.

The area around Vicuña experiences approximately 300 totally clear days and nights annually, and several large astronomical observatories are located nearby, including the touristic Mammalluca Observatory.

A few kilometres outside town is the Route of the Grappa, visiting the factories known as pisqueras: Ruta Norte, Capel, Mistral, Tres Erres and Artesanos de Cochiguaz.

There is a tourist information at the NW corner of the Plaza de Armas, San Martín 275.

By bus
From La Serena there are buses (2,500 pesos) at 06:00, 06:55, 09:20, 11:30, 12:15, 13:00, 14:00, 16:30, 18:30 and 19:30 from Terminal de buses, and colectivos/minibuses (3,000 pesos) at least every hour from the provincial bus station north west of the Japanese Garden.

Heading back from Vicuña to La Serena, colectivos leave at 09:30, 09:50, 11:30, 13:00, 14:15, 15:00, 16:30, 17:20, 18:30, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30 and 21:15 (as of Oct 2022). The last colectivos back are at around 20:30 from Pisco Elqui and 21:15 from Vicuña. Furthermore, there are also at least two Turbus buses from Vicuña after that, the last one at 22:45, but please re-check onsite.

By car
Route 41-CH is an international route between Chile and Argentina that begins in the city of La Serena and ends at the Agua Negra border crossing.

The Antakari Heritage Route connects Vicuña with the municipalities of Río Hurtado and Andacollo. A variant of this route leads to the Province of Petorca in the V Region of Valparaíso.

Get around
The town is entirely walkable. Tourist information center on Plaza de Armas provides simple map of town.

See

 * The urban area is made up of buildings from around 1900.
 * The city has a square of ancient trees, which displays sculptures that honor Gabriela Mistral, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
 * At the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, daily tourist visits are offered.
 * At the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, daily tourist visits are offered.

Do

 * A local Pisco distillery offers tours for 2,000 pesos per person.
 * A local Pisco distillery offers tours for 2,000 pesos per person.

Buy
Pisco, of course.

Go next

 * Continue up the valley to Pisco Elqui.