Wednesday, December 11, 2019, La Serena (Coquimbo), Chile
LA SERENA (COQUIMBO), CHILE
An important
19th century port in the copper and gold industry, Coquimbo and its
riches lured many Europeans, many of them from England. Today’s Coquimbo is a thriving gateway to
Chile’s scenic central valleys. Nearby,
coastal La Serena, founded in 1544, is the country’s second oldest city after
the capital of Santiago and boasts picturesque beaches and colorful
residences. Many churches dot the
cityscape, including a remarkable stone cathedral, earning it the nickname “City
of Churches.” Many of its 19th
century public and residential buildings were constructed in La Serena’s
distinct neo-colonial style, often from the Oregon pine shipped here as ballast
during the copper boom in Coquimbo.
We visited the Third Millennium Cross Monument, a real icon of Christian faith in Chile. From the height of its arms we beheld a wonderful view of the city.
From a distance, it denotes its omnipresence; it can be seen from everywhere, even from the coasts of neighboring towns. This is a monument erected in Mount El Vigía at Coquimbo, which represents the famous Third Millennium Cross. The impressive construction moved the whole town, mostly Catholics. It is the highest and most marvelous building work erected in South America in honor to the 2,000 years of the birth of Jesus.
Its base is made of three leaning pillars which form a large tripod. Upon it, the immense Cross made of three columns representing the Holy Trinity is erected. Its maximum height is 83 meters and it is 40 meters wide. The 2,000-steps staircase is the access to the base and the worship area, which consists of a chapel, a museum and a photographic exhibition where different stages of the construction of the Cross can be seen, until its inauguration, in May 5th, 2000. The gifts from Juan Pablo II for such a monument that immortalizes Christian faith are also shown.
The Monumental Lighthouse of La Serena is a Chilean lighthouse located at the Avenida del Mar of La Serena. The structure is one of the most representative of the city and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area.
Whether taking the elevator or the stairs, the first vantage point located 20 meters high and the ecumenical prayer square decorated with vitraux can be reached from there.
https://www.welcomechile.com/coquimbo/third-millenium-cross-monument.html
Masque in Coquimbo, not far from Millennium Cross.
Lighthouse beaches.
Seaweed is used to manufacture plastics and cosmetics.
Seaweed is used to manufacture plastics and cosmetics.
Millennium Cross viewed from the lighthouse. Note our cruise ship at left background.
La Serena (peaceful, calm, serene) is a city and commune in northern Chile, capital of the Coquimbo Region. Founded in 1544, it is the country's second oldest city after the national capital, Santiago. As of 2012, it had a communal population of roughly 200,000, and was one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile. Incomes are generated from copper, iron, gold, and silver mining.
The city is an important tourist destination, especially during the summer, where people go to visit the beaches. It is in the headquarters of the University of La Serena and also is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena, one of five Catholic Archdioceses of the Catholic Church in Chile.
The city is an important tourist destination, especially during the summer, where people go to visit the beaches. It is in the headquarters of the University of La Serena and also is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena, one of five Catholic Archdioceses of the Catholic Church in Chile.
La Serena & Elquí Valley
We explored the highlights of the Coquimbo Province, including coastal
La Serena and the secluded Elquí Valley. We began our tour with a visit to La Serena. We enjoyed the sweeping views of the beautiful
beaches and the old lighthouse, or Faro. We stopped at La Recova Market where we browsed
for traditional pottery, alpaca-wool handicrafts, and semiprecious stones. We saw the neo-colonial buildings, which were
constructed under the grand urban “Plan Serena” in the 1940s. We visited a local distillery in the remote
Elqui Valley, where we learned about the locally produced Pisco—a white brandy
made from grapes. We enjoyed a tasting,
then drove to Vicuña, in the heart of this remote valley. This wine-producing region is world renowned. We admired the picturesque surroundings that
lie in the foothills of the Andes and enjoyed delicious regional cuisine at a
local restaurant.
We made a morning stop at the town market (La Recova) on our way up the valley.
San Agustin Church next to La Recova Market.
Puclaro is an artificial lake created by a dam on the Elqui River, 25 miles east of the city of La Serena, Coquimbo Region and 300 miles north of Santiago. Regular strong winds make the lake a popular place for kitesurfing. Its purpose is to improve the irrigation of 21,000 hectares of farmland in the Elqui valley.
Puclaro Dam is two-hundred fifty foot tall and two thousand long concrete face gravel fill dam with a crest altitude of 1,400 foot. The volume of the dam is 4,630,000 m³. The dam features a spillway over the dam (maximum discharge 3,800 m³/s). The upstream concrete face varies in thickness from one to one and a half feet. The dam is founded on very pervious alluvial foundations more than 330 feet deep.
See the goat?
Beginning of vineyards.
Nets to block UV rays.
Makers of white brandies (pisco) from wine grapes.
Recipe for pisco sour: 1/3 fruit juice, 1+/3 pisco, 1/3 powdered sugar; can blend in an egg white (1+ minutes) to make the drink smoother.
Ramp to see roots behind Plexiglas.
Initial aging tanks (4-6 hours) for squeezed grape juice.
Trucks with picked grapes dump into a bin which auger them into squeezers.
Initial fermentation tanks.
Maintenance of large pumps.
A lot of stainless steel pipes and valves.
American oak aging barrels.
They bottle ninety-thousand bottles a day (eleven billion a year!), six days per week, year round.
Park in the town of Vicuna with population of twenty-five thousand where we had lunch. Income is generated from agriculture and tourism.
Tourist bureau.
In the park.
About three feet tall.
In the center of one-block square.
Carved tree stump.
We passed by many observatories on our ride back to the ship.
The Atacama Desert further north might normally take the crown for the clearest night skies in Chile, but the Elqui Valley isn’t far behind. The whole region experiences, on average, 360 clear nights per year, and is home to many of the globe’s strongest telescopes, some of which can be visited during the day to learn more about the capacities of this high-tech equipment.
https://blogpatagonia.australis.com/things-see-elqui-valley-chile/
Our way this evening to our next port call, Iquique (our final port in Chile)
Our way this evening to our next port call, Iquique (our final port in Chile)
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