La Serena

La Serena was founded in 1544, refounded in 1549 after being destroyed in an indigenous uprising, and is the second oldest city in Chile after Santiago. Its look, though, is largely a twentieth century decision: under the Plan Serena promoted by President Gabriel Gonzalez Videla, who came from here, the city was rebuilt through the late 1940s and 1950s in a deliberate neocolonial style, with stone facades, arcades and around thirty churches restored or built to match. The result is coherent and handsome and not quite what it appears. The long beach runs south to Coquimbo, and the Elqui valley and its observatories are inland.

What you actually see

• Founded 1544, refounded 1549 - the second oldest city in Chile.
• A neocolonial rebuild - Plan Serena, from the late 1940s.
• Around thirty churches - restored or built to match the scheme.
• A long beach south - running towards Coquimbo.

When to go

Year round; January and February are packed with Chilean holidaymakers. A full day.

Honest expectations

Much of the colonial look is mid twentieth century, which surprises people expecting original fabric. The beachfront is high-rise. The camanchaca often sits over the city until midday. Prices double in the summer holiday months.

Nearby

Coquimbo is south along the bay; the Elqui valley runs inland east.