Coquimbo

Coquimbo is a working port city on Chile's northern Pacific coast, connected by a short road to the more polished La Serena next door. The Cruz del Tercer Milenio, a massive concrete cross on the hilltop, offers wide views over the bay and the arid landscape behind. Below it, the Barrio Inglés has a grid of 19th-century mansions left over from the copper and silver mining booms, when British traders lived and worked here. The beaches at La Herradura and Totoralillo Norte are good for a quick swim. The Elqui Valley, about an hour inland, is where Chilean pisco originates, and several distilleries run tastings. The valley is also one of the world's best stargazing locations, with observatories like Mamalluca offering night viewings. La Recova market in La Serena sells handmade jewellery, lapis lazuli, and local dried fruit. For food, harbourfront restaurants serve camarones al pil-pil, shrimp in a garlic and chilli oil. Taxis wait at the port, and Spanish is the main language, though English is understood in tourist spots.