7 Best Sights in El Norte Chico, Chile

Although there are more established observatories in the area, Alfa Aldea has made its mark on the astronomy world due to the flawless attention to detail and excellent customer service. With a glass of wine in hand, embark on a journey to the beginning of time as the dome above you transforms into an interactive and 3D exploration. While lounging among comfortable seating, carpeted floors, and blankets, a bilingual astronomer explains the inner workings of the universe. Afterward, you pop outside beneath the stars to peep at constellations, nebulas, planets, and the moon with a real telescope before listening to light transformed into sound waves by a radio telescope, one of the very few available to tourists in the area. You will need to book your visit here in advance.

One of the many tourist observatories to pop up across the region catering to the growing numbers of visitors keen to catch their own glimpse of the mysteries of the universe, Pangue—17 km (11 miles) south of Vicuña—boasts more firepower than most, with arguably the most powerful telescope in the region. Through the 16- and 25-inch telescopes, you can view solar systems, planets, galaxies, and nebulae. The standard tour allows enough time to see eight to 10 such phenomena, while budding stargazers are welcome to bring their own list, and tour guides can help you find them. Tours can be organized from the tour office at San Martín 233 in Vicuña and are available in English, French, and Spanish. Note that tours do not run for the week around each full moon.

Perched at 2,200 meters (7,200 feet), Cerro Tololo Observatory runs free tours of its two principal telescopes on Saturdays. During January and February, priority is given to nonspecialist visitors—although high demand means it’s worth reserving at least a month in advance—while the rest of the year the observatory tours cater principally to delegations. Tours should first be requested by phone or email; once the reservation has been made, permission certification can be picked up at the observatory’s offices in Las Serena on the corner of avenidas Huanhalí and J. Cisternas. Tours may be canceled in bad weather.

With one of the largest telescopes in the world, an 8.1-meter (26.5 feet) Cassegrain, this observatory 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Cerro Tololo is operated by a consortium of six nations. Tours are free of charge on Friday mornings and can be tailored to the interests of the group (usually between 10 and 25 people). Email at least a month in advance to request a place on the tour. Priority is given to student and scientific delegations.

Administered by the 15-member European Southern Observatory (ESO), La Silla Observatory is one of the largest and most important observatories in the Southern Hemisphere. Free tours are available of the three principal telescopes each Saturday at 2 pm, except during July and August, due to the risk of snowstorms in this period. Note that bookings are accepted only if made via the online visitor form.

This observatory of the Carnegie Institute of Washington, 170 km (105 miles) north of La Serena, has twin 6.5-meter Magellan telescopes (internationally recognized as the best natural imaging telescopes) as well as two others. Free tours of the facilities take place on Saturday between 10 and 2:30, but due to high demand visitors are advised to make reservations several weeks in advance. Preference is given to school groups and delegations.

The most welcoming of the Elqui Valley observatories and the one that attracts the most visitors, Mamalluca is 9 km (6 miles) north of Vicuña. On the Basic Astronomy tour, visitors are given an introductory talk before stargazing on the terrace and taking turns looking through a 12-inch digital telescope at sights including the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. Another tour focuses more on the Andean interpretation of the constellations. Tours should be booked at least a month in advance during spring and summer. You can either make your own way to the observatory or contract transport from the tour office in Vicuña at 5,000 pesos per person.