Cruz del Sur Observatory
Name: It takes the name from one of the most classical constellation of the southern sky: the Southern Cross or Crux. This is because the domes of the observatory are placed the same way as the stars in Crux constellation.
Location: Combarbalá at 1.140 meters above the sea level, 3 hours southeast from La Serena. The road is fully paved.
Description: The project of this observatory was promoted in the IV region of Chile by the Municipality of Combarbalá and the Planetarium of the University of Santiago. It was funded by the Regional Counsel of Coquimbo who, at the beginning of 2005, donated 246 million of pesos for the construction and implementation of this new astronomic center.
Equipment: Two telescopes Meade LX200-R Schmidt-Cassegrain type of 16″ and two Meade equipments, LX200-R Schmidt-Cassegrain de 14″ type, all of them with equatorial mount.
Visiting Hours: 17:00, 20:00, 22:00 hrs.
Tour Elqui Valley and Mamalluca Observatory
Leaving the city of La Serena heading east on the way to the Andes cordillera we will notice how the landscape changes into the beautiful and charming Elqui Valley.
On the route that lead us to the city of Vicuña, we will find, at the side of the road, the Pucalro Dam, dam with the capacity to contain 200 millions m3. We will be able to look upon the beautiful landscape of the lake from the look out point located in the upper part of the wall.
A few miles from here, there’s the city of Vicuña, birthplace of the great Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral. Here we can visit the Bauer tower, the old town council, and main square of Vicuña, decorated with sculptures and with original Vicuñas motives.
Then we will visit a Pisco factory where we will learn about the process of making this delicious drink, and of course we will taste the different varieties of this Chilean Pisco.
We will stop, then, in a tipical restaurant to enjoy of its delicious food.
We continue our trip heading to the town of Montegrande, a small town in which Gabriela Mistral lived as a child. We will visit here the school-house museum in which we will know about the life and work of Gabriela Mistral. Later in the afternoon we will end our trip in a small town initially called “La Union” and since 1930’s called Pisco Elqui.
After the tour through the Elqui valley we return to the city of Vicuña waiting for the transfer to the Mamalluca observatory.
Touching the stars in the Mamalluca observatory
The Mamalluca tourist observatory started as visionary school project in 1995 that was carefully developed and finally inaugurated in 1998. Here the tour starts with an introductory talk about astronomy in charge of a specialized guide. Then we enjoy a marvellous journey trough our skies, visiting stars and constellations with the help of telescopes placed in the terrace of the observatory. Besides with your bear eyes you can observe planets like Jupiter, Saturn and Mars or the constellations of Orion, Taurus, Sagittarius, Scorpion and the Southern Cross (Crux).
We will also enjoy watching the famous Magellan Clouds, two satellite galaxies very similar to our own galaxy that can be seen only from the south hemisphere.
Finally we go to the Mamalluca observatory main dome where a guide with a good knowledge about the southern sky will show you, with the help of an electronic telescope, objects in the deep universe like the Nebula 30 Doradus, the Open Cluster M47 or the open cluster the Jewel box located in the constellation of Crux.
After this amazing experience we return to La Serena.
Included:
- Transfers
- Guide
- Lunch in a Restaurant
- Ticket museum Gabriela Mistral
- Ticket Mamalluca Observatory
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Tour Mamalluca Observatory
It’s a real show at 1.100 meters above the sea level the given by the most educational and tourist observatory of the fourth region. Northwest from Vicuña, in the middle of the valley, there’s the observatory of the Mamalluca hill (In Quechua language Wama or Wamakk means “strange thing” and lluchka means “blur”). The observatory started as visionary school project in 1995 that was carefully developed and finally inaugurated in 1998.
The tour starts with an introductory talk about astronomy in charge of a specialized guide. Then we enjoy a marvellous journey trough our skies, visiting stars and constellations with the help of telescopes placed in the terrace of the observatory. Besides with your bear eyes you can observe planets like Jupiter, Saturn and Mars or the constellations of Orion, Taurus, Sagittarius, Scorpion and the Southern Cross (Crux).
We will also enjoy watching the famous Magellan Clouds, two satellite galaxies very similar to our own galaxy that can be seen only from the south hemisphere.
Finally we go to the Mamalluca observatory main dome where a guide with a good knowledge about the southern sky will show you, with the help of an electronic telescope, objects in the deep universe like the Nebula 30 Doradus, the Open Cluster M47 or the open cluster the Jewel box located in the constellation of Crux.
After this amazing experience we return to La Serena.
Included:
- Trasfer
- Snack
- Ticket Observatory
Note: The tour is subject to weather conditions.
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Night Horseback Ridings
Twenty minutes from La Serena is the village “El Arrayan”, where you can live the magic  experience of riding under the dark skies of the Elqui valley, in close contact with our senses.
All begins with a little instruction talk from a specialized guide, who will later join us in our trip we will make under the dim light of the stars. For two and a half hours through typical Elqui landscapes you will be able to observe constellations and stars like you never did before, felling all the stress and fatigue produced by the city life to vanish away as the horse gently walks, connecting with yourself and the world.
Included:
- Transfer
- Guide
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