The North skies of our country are world famous by their neatness due to lack of rains during the year. In the Elqui Valley the sky offers an excelent star viewing. Here, not only scientists can enjoy the sky and the stars in modern and huge obsevatories such as Tololo, but also visitors have different options to enjoy astronomic tourism.
The oldest observatory is Cerro Tololo, 54 miles from La Serena in the middle of the Elqui Valley. Make previous reservation in order to see its 8 telescopes. Guided tours during the day allow visitors to be amazed by the Elqui Valley landscape.
Also, the Mamalluca, Cerro Mayu and Pangue observatories are located in the Elqui Valley. They have smaller telescopes but still usable to view galaxies, nebula, and constellations. These observatories are the perfect choice for visitors since they offer presentations about the universe and facilities thought to be for tourism. In high season, there are guided tours every night and, in some months, visitors can make reservations on the same day.
