Elqui Valley

Elqui Valley Luxury Travel

A rugged, mountainous valley of rocky slopes bordering a verdant valley floor, Elqui Valley is one of northern Chile’s best-kept secrets—literally, as most north-bound travelers wing right over this desert oasis en route to the Atacama. But if you follow in the footsteps of poets and enlightenment-seeking mystics, you’ll discover why this hidden valley enchants all who visit.

Set in Chile’s dry Norte Chico, some 300 miles from Santiago, Elqui Valley is a warren of gorges and canyons located roughly an hour inland from the coast. Fed by Andean rivers, a green ribbon of farms, orchards, and vineyards blankets the valley floor, growing the grapes that are fermented into Chilean pisco and wines like syrah and sauvignon blanc. By day, bike between quiet small towns, wineries, and craft pisco producers, and by night, head to one of the valley’s many hilltop observatories to gaze deep into the universe through crystal-clear night skies.

Elqui Valley Travel Highlights

Stay up late stargazing within the world’s first Dark Sky Sanctuary
Taste high-altitude wines and smooth pisco at wineries and pisquerias
Cycle through verdant vineyards along the valley floor
Visit the childhood home of Chile’s esteemed Nobel-wining poet Gabriela Mistral
Head up into the desert hills on hikes and horseback rides
Spy penguins, sea lions, whales, and more at the coastal Humboldt Penguin National Reserve
Commune with the universe at meditation pyramids, Buddhist stupas, and spiritual sites

Things to Do in Chile’s Elqui Valley

From winemaking to stargazing to literary culture, find and experience many of Chile’s top draws within the Elqui Valley.

Stargaze in Chile’s Astro-Tourism Capital

Once the sun goes down, see for yourself why the Elqui Valley was chosen as the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary with its phenomenal stargazing. Go on guided tours of the night sky at public and professional observatories like Mamalluca and Pangue, with the valley’s dry climate, low humidity, and lack of light pollution making it possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Many hotels even offer their own telescopes and stargazing facilities, allowing you to observe the celestial dance just steps from your room.

Sample Chilean Pisco in Elqui

As one of the country’s biggest producers of pisco, there’s no better place to learn about Chile’s favorite spirit. Tour the distilleries of some of Chile’s biggest pisco brands like Capel, as well as smaller, family-run artisanal outfits, for behind-the-scenes looks at how valley-grown muscat grapes are transformed into liquor, complete with tasting flights. Made with pisco as the base, pisco sour cocktails are the perfect happy hour companion to cap each day in the valley.

Go Wine Tasting in the Elqui Valley

Pisco isn’t the only thing made from grapes here. Stop in at innovative wineries like Viñedos de Alcohuaz which make boundary-pushing wines showcasing this extreme terroir, producing high-altitude red and white wines like carménère, syrah, and sauvignon blanc from slope-hugging vineyards.

Get Outdoorsy in Elqui

From bike rides through the vineyards and along the winding valley floor to hopping in the saddle or lacing up your hiking boots for hikes and horseback rides up into the mountains, discover the healing power of nature in Elqui’s great outdoors on all sorts of sports and outdoor activities.

Learn about Gabriela Mistral, One of Chile’s Literary Greats

Chilean poetry is renowned around the world, and one of the country’s most esteemed poets, Gabriela Mistral, hails from the Elqui Valley. Visit her childhood home, view heirlooms at a museum dedicated to her life and work, and pay respects at her memorial monument.

See Humboldt Penguins

Take a day trip up the coast to see adorable colonies of waddling Humboldt penguins, sea lions, dolphins, and maybe even migratory whales at the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve. Spread across three offshore islands, this reserve can only be reached by boat. But it’s worth the trip to get close-up views of Humboldt penguins and other marine wildlife.

Find Your Center Through Elqui-Energy Self-Care

Said to be a special energy center where the connection between Earth and the universe is at its strongest, Elqui Valley is a very spiritual place where alternative wellness practices thrive. Tap into this mystical energy with mediation sessions, chakra-cleansing quartz circles, and restorative disciplines like yoga to open yourself up to the wonders of the universe, either at luxury spas or sites like the New Age hub of Cochiguaz.

Where to Stay in the Elqui Valley

One of the premier places to stay in the Elqui Valley, CasaMolle is an oasis within an oasis. Retreat inside the adobe walls of this dreamy desert escape where valley-grown gastronomy, body-and-soul-cleansing spa treatments, and immersive experiences from onsite stargazing to vineyard bike rides await.

The Best Time to Visit the Elqui Valley

Like its northern neighbor, the Atacama Desert, Elqui Valley’s semi-arid climate, bountiful sunshine, and pleasant weather make it wonderfully suited to year-round visits.

Summer (December to February) offers the longest days and warmest temperatures, but spring and fall are also lovely, with chances to see fall foliage among the vineyards or watch the desert landscape bloom with life.
Due to the altitude, the winter months of June to August are chillier, with dustings of snow at higher elevations and more rainfall, but the valley floor remains a comfortable temperature.
As the Elqui Valley is one of Chile’s top stargazing hotspots, choosing the right time of month to visit is also key. During the full moon, stargazing visibility is greatly reduced, making it harder to take in the full splendor of the night sky. It’s best to plan your visit around a new moon so the night skies will be clearer and you have the best chances to spot stars, planets, and even orbiting satellites.

Explore the Elqui Valley on a Map

Easy Extensions

Home to Chile’s main international airport, the capital city of Santiago makes for a great place to start or end your trip. What’s more, after sampling the vinos of Elqui Valley, see what else the world of Chilean winemaking has in store with a visit to central Chilean Wine Country. Want more stargazing? Head north to the Atacama Desert. Alternatively, if you thought Elqui Valley was a lush wonderland, wait until you see the Lakes District. Roughly two hours south of Santiago by plane, this verdant region dazzles travelers with its ancient forests, fairy-tale Germanic towns, and bucolic lakes.