There's more to La Serena, the Serene One, than sun, beaches and white sand. There's more to recommend the area than a pleasant year-round climate, pure air, great scenery and superb seafood. La Serena photo is Chile's second oldest city. Pedro de Valivia founded Santiago in 1541, and thereafter went on to order the founding La Serena in 1543/4 as the sea link between Santiago and Lima. It was fortified against pirates in the 1700s's and enjoyed an economic boom in the 1920's.During the presidency of Gabriel González Videla, a native of La Serena, the city benefited from the La Serena Plan, an urban renewal project which developed the prevalent architectural style called Colonial Renaissance. Much of the colonial architecture is found around the Plaza de Armas. (city map)
The capital of the second region in Chile's Norte Chico, (map) La Serena is well known for its beaches.A visitor can enjoy a two-week vacation and visit a different beach every day, although some are less suited for swimming due to strong currents.
The region is rain free for up to nine months of the year, making it an all-season destination.
By air:
Aeropuerto La Florida serves domestic flights to Santiago and other cities. Check flights from your area to Santiago. You can also browse for hotels and car rentals.
By land:
Easily reached by the Panamericana stretching north and south through Chile, there is ample bus service to Santiago and other cities, plus Mendoza and other Argentine cities.
By water:
Cruise ships often call in at La Serena, and there are marinas.
La Serena enjoys a transitional climate between the arid northern desert of the Atacama and the pleasant Mediterranean climate of the central coast. Clear skies and temperatures range between 15° Celsius (59º Fahrenheit) and 20° C. (68º F.) during the summer, with an average annual temperature of 14.7º C. (58.4º F.). July is the coldest winter month and February, in mid-summer is the warmest.
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