4 Best Sights in El Norte Chico, Chile

About 4 km (3 miles) past Pisco Elqui lies this operational pisco distillery. Guided tours show you around its workings and culminate in the basement, where the original owner and his partners would raid the stock for prolonged, secretive drinking sessions. More clearheaded visitors should note that he and his friends also found time to amass a rather morbid collection of epithets, now displayed on the walls. If you want to get to the dregs of this valley´s historic distillery story, this is the site to visit.

Visiting a pisco vineyard is a great way to learn about the history of a product that has come to define the Elqui Valley, not to mention the perfect excuse to enjoy a relaxing glass of this tasty, fruity, aromatic drink in beautiful surroundings. At Centro Turístico Capel, just across the Elqui River from Vicuña, you can tour the bottling facility, well-groomed gardens, and artisan’s gallery before tasting several piscos.

In the older section of this pisco plant, maintained strictly for show, you can see the antiquated copper cauldrons and wooden barrels formerly used to distill the famous brand. The distillery arranges daily tours, followed by tastings of pisco sours. There is also an on-site restaurant.

This small, family-run distillery is known for producing several premium piscos that are consistently winning awards and international accolades. The free 40-minute tour includes a tasting; make sure you try the variety made with maqui, a berry native to the southern forests of Chile and Argentina. The distillery is located just off the road between Vicuña and Pisco Elqui.