Tongoy
A scallop town on a peninsula between two beaches, one calm and one open to the swell.
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Tongoy sits on a peninsula with a beach on each side: Playa Grande on the open southern side, long and exposed, and Playa Socos in the sheltered bay to the north, which is calm enough for children. The town's real business is scallops - ostion del norte, farmed and dived in the bay, sold in the caletas and served in the restaurants along the front, and the reason a good number of Chileans drive down here specifically. The 2015 earthquake off this coast produced a tsunami that damaged the low-lying front, and rebuilding since has changed parts of the seafront.
What you actually see
- Two beaches, one calm and one open - either side of the peninsula.
- Scallop farming in the bay - the town's real industry.
- Restaurants selling the catch - the reason many people come.
- Marks of the 2015 tsunami - and the rebuilding since.
When to go
December to March. Half a day.
Honest expectations
The water is cold, as everywhere on this coast. It is crowded in January and February and quiet otherwise. Some of the front is modern rebuilding. Prices for scallops have risen sharply.
Nearby
Guanaqueros is north along the coast; Coquimbo is beyond.
What to pack for Tongoy
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.