Coquimbo & La Serena, Chile

January 24, 2024 Coquimbo & La Serena

We docked in the port of Coquimbo

The view of the city initially did not promise a tourist highlight: shipwrecks in the water, seemingly uninhabited houses on the shore were signs of the tsunami that had hit the area some time ago. Above everything there was a huge cross on one of the hills.

I had planned to explore the two cities that have grown together on foot, but the exertions of the previous day were still in my bones. And so I gratefully accepted the offer of a friendly English-speaking "certified tour guide" to show us the cities as part of a tour.

Since I was the first passenger, I had to wait some time until the tour guide managed to get a Chinese tour group to join me. In the meantime, I chatted with a very attractive Chilean woman named Alejandra who was supposed to accompany us. We had a good rapport right away and stayed together throughout the tour.

We started around 8:30 a.m. The first destination was the pretty lighthouse of La Serena.

Then we stopped at a park lined with stalls, many of which weren't even open yet. Alejandra and I first made friends with a pretty stray who jumped up at us enthusiastically. I bought us freshly squeezed prickly pear juice, which we drank on our walk. Then we continued by bus.

At the next stop we had about 50 minutes, which we could choose to spend visiting a museum or a large market. Since it was quite chilly, I had planned to buy a light jacket, so we decided to head to the market. Instead of a jacket, I found a distinctive wool poncho and an unusual leather belt. Alejandra also bought a poncho.

Then we headed for our penultimate destination: the gigantic cross on the hill. Stairs and an elevator took us to the crossbar of the cross, from which we would have had a fantastic view if it hadn't been so foggy.

Finally we drove to a beer garden where I was able to taste two types of beer, Pisco and Pisco Sour. Alejandra bought me a beer. Then we went back to the terminal. There we said goodbye warmly.

In the evening there was a great concert by a Frankie Valli tribute band.