Pisco Elqui

is a town in Valle de Elqui, northern Chile; located about 107km east from La Serena.

Get in

Buses every hour from La Serena, passing by Vicuña on the way, about 2,5 hours ride. More frequent departures on Sundays and during holidays. Get the bus at the parking lot of unimarc (Calle Brasil between Cienfuegos and Rengifo).

The buses back to Vicuña and la Serena are going from Plaza de Armas in Pisco.

Be sure to bring enough cash, as there is no ATM in town!

Get around

The town is very small and it is best to explore it on foot.

See

  • Plaza. 
  • Destilería Pisco Mistral, [1].  

one of the best known Piscos in Chile offers tours in their distillery at the Plaza de Armas (CLP 6.000-10.000)

  • Destilería Los Nichos, (You can either hitchhike there, take a short trek along the mainstreet entering deeper into valley or walk paralel to the street on the hill. (Go up Calle Baquedano and you will encounter a dirt track. On the second curve go left and you will see the street and a little canal at your left hand side. Go on about 20-30 minutes and you will get back to the street in front of a restaurant. Follow the street 10 minutes more and you will get to the distellery)). a more traditional pisco destillery 4km southeast from Pisco. Tours cost CLP 1000 and start at 12:00, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm.  

Do

There are plenty of tour operators in the city. Most work with groups of at least 3-4 persons persons and provide all the necessary equipment.

Turismo Migrantes is a certificated tour operator, offering different kinds of outdoor activities in the Elqui Valley. Besides, you can join trips to the mountain range of the Andes.

  • Astronomical Tours.  
  • Horseback Riding. 
  • Cycling.  
  • Trekking. 

Allthough nearly everyone you’ll ask will tell you that it’s impossible to do some treking alone, it isn’t! (But keep in mind that an operator provide equipment, security and some knowledge about flora, fauna and indigenous culture).
La Banderita, (start at Camping Solares de Barbosa (from the plaza head northwest – direction to Vicuña – and take the first dirt road at the right. They’ll charge you CLP 1000 of entrance fee but tell you were the trek begins. At the beginning the way is marked with red ribbons, which then suddenly disappear. You can follow most of the ways up the hill (and as you will see the white flag from nearly everywhere, you can’t get lost). Because of the sandy ground it’s also easy to find the paths marked by footsteps and trekking pole marks.). It’s about 2,5 to 3 hours to get to the banderita. There are two summits more, the lower one is 1425m high (1216m of gain) and require about 6,5 – 7 hours in total (up and down).  

Eat

There are several nice restaurants near the plaza and the church.

Drink

Remember to try different flavours of piscos here before you leave!

Sleep

  • Hostal Triskel, Baquedano s/n, Pisco Elqui (Past the main church, turn right, go straight then left and first right. It is 300m uphill), ☎ +56 9 94198680, [2]. Clean rooms, friendly owner. Breakfast included. Member of Hola network $12000 pppn. 
  • Donde Gabriela, Baquedano s/n, Pisco Elqui (Past the main church, turn right, go straight then left and first right. It is 600m uphill at the left (not easy to recognise, there’s just written Gabriela with silver letters on the door)). Not an official hostel, but the very friendly owner Gabriela has one clean and quite basic dorm and 2 double rooms. Breakfast with nice chats included. Helps you to save money with telling about treks you can do without an operator. $9000 pppn.