La Serena tourist information
This is the capital city of Region IV, and it is the second oldest city in Chile, founded in 1544, and then rebuilt in 1549 by Francisco de Aguirre after its destruction by the indigenous peoples. Its most characteristic feature remains its grid lay-out around the original Parade Ground and the neo-colonial or Spanish style of its buildings. The mining boom in the Chilean North during the nineteenth century significantly influenced the development of the city, and the beautiful houses and majestic churches of the period are still with us today. During the administration of President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, in the middle of this century, La Serena received a strong boost from the development of a large-scale public works and buildings which conserved the traditional style of the city.
Over the past twenty years, the boom in fruit exports, mining, and in particular the important growth of the hotel and service infrastructure have turned La Serena into the main tourist and trading center of the region.
A visit to the city which begins at the Parade Ground allows the visitor to see the stonebuilt Cathedral Church dating from 1844 and President Gonzalez Videla's house, an ancient adobe brick construction which now houses the Regional Historical Museum. Nearby are other sites of special interest to visitors, such as the Church of St. Francis, with its Museum of Religious Art; the Archaeological Museum, housing artifacts from the pre - Colombian cultures of the area; and the Ignacio Domeyko Mineralogical Museum.
La Recova Municipal Market, with its handicrafts fair, offers a large variety of products characteristic of the area, among which some of the main ones are figures made of the stone called "combarbalita," lapis lazuli jewelry, alpaca wool fabrics, pottery, etc. A pleasant few hours can be spent strolling through the pretty parks of Pedro de Valdivia, the Japanese Park, with its Heart Garden, and the Avenida Francisco de Aguirre as far as the Monumental Lighthouse which marks the beginning of the modern, interesting Avenida del Mar which runs along the coast southwards and is the center of the city's tourist activity.
From La Serena, a trip can be taken to the River Elqui Valley in order to visit the city of Vicuņa, with its Parish Church and Bauer Tower, made in Germany in 1905 and now the seat of the city government; the Solar de Madariaga, a house/museum of antiquities, and the Gabriela Mistral Museum, which houses the personal possessions and a replica of the humble home in which the Nobel Prize - winning poetess was born. Further inland in the valley is the town of Monte Grande, where Gabriela Mistral lived and now rests. Southwards along the PanAmerican Highway is the port of Coquimbo, well worth a visit, and the spa resorts of La Herradura, Las Tacas, Puerto Velero and Tongoy.
La Serena aerial map
Please click on any icon on the La Serena aerial tourist map, to find close by places, offering hotels and tourist information. You can zoom in and zoom out our touristical map as well as switch between satelite and map view of La Serena.
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