Things to Do and See:
On the Plaza de Armas:
- The stone Cathedral,
built in the neoclassical style temple by the French Architec Juan Herbage in 1844, faces City Hall
- Iglesia Santo Domingo dates from the colonial times
- Gabriel González Videla House, now a museum and a
national monument, displays 3.500 pieces of historical
interest, plus fine arts and photography.
PhotosSan Francisco Church is a national monument built between 1585
and 1627 in the Italian Renaissance style facade, and one of the
most important colonial buildings to survive the fire of 1680.
The Religious Art Museum on the premises maintains a collection of
religious art from the Cuzqueños and Quiteñas art schools of the colonial period.
Gabriel González Videla and has become a favorite subject for postcards and photos.The decorative Light House of La Serena was built during the presidential term of
The monument has a defense wall, terraces and gardens, covering a surface of 264 meters. The real Light House is located on Punta Tortuga, Coquimbo.
Casa Carmona, the home of the owner of the Arqueros silver mine, was built between
1855 and 1860, with a fortified tower.Casa de La Providencia, built originally as an orphanage, is now a
national monument. The exterior of the house and attached church shelter an
interior garden.
Archeaological Museum hosts displays of the indigenous cultures of
Tarapaca, Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo, highlighting the pottery of the
Diaguita Culture.
The museum also maintains a Fine Arts section, Library, and the Center of the
Historical Documentation.
[li]Minerological Museum of La Serena University maintains an extensive
collection of mineralogical samples brought from mining sites located in
Chile and abroad, including
Chañarcillos silver clusters, precious stones from India, diamonds from
Brasil and Africa, lapis lazulis, meteorites, fossils, and gold from El Indio mineral deposit.Pictures from Chile and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Outside the City:
Observatories:
La Silla, Las Campanas, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory,
El Tolo and Mamalluca enjoy the clear skies and
pure air of the region.
The visits to these centers require previous authorization.
Museum Gabriela Mistral in Vicuña displays the life and work of Chile's Nobel
Prize winner for Literature, including her papers,
awards, letters, furniture and other personal objects and photos.
Parque Nacional Fray Jorge is a
cloud forest in the semi-arid desert region. Named a UNESCO International Biosphere
Reserve, the park is easily reached from the PanAmerican highway south of La Serena.
Elqui Valley, following the Elqui river inland to the
wine and pisco production
areas. Read more about Pisco.
Return to the La Serena main page.
Buen viaje!
