La Serena & Coquimbo: Guided City Tour with Lunch

3.89

(35 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The day didn’t start exactly as planned — we got off the cruise ship in Coquimbo, and I realized I’d left my hat behind. The sun here isn’t shy, but our guide, Camila, just smiled and handed me her spare. That small kindness set the tone. We wandered through the English Quarter first, where the old houses lean into each other like they’re sharing secrets. There’s this faint smell of sea salt mixed with something sweet from a bakery nearby. I tried to pronounce “Coquimbo” right; Camila laughed and said most visitors get it wrong on their first try.

The Third Millennium Cross is impossible to miss — it kind of looms over everything. We took the elevator up (my knees were grateful), and suddenly you see all of Coquimbo and La Serena spread out below, stitched together by coastline. The wind up there is sharp, almost cold even though the day was warm. Someone pointed out pelicans gliding near the port; I still think about that view sometimes when things get noisy at home.

Lunch was at a local spot in La Serena — nothing fancy, but honestly that’s what made it good. Fresh fish, soft bread, some kind of citrusy drink I couldn’t name (Camila called it “mote con huesillo” but I probably butchered that). Afterward we wandered through Plaza de Armas where old churches peek out from behind palm trees and people sit reading or just watching life go by. The Archaeological Museum was closed (it was Monday), so instead we ducked into a market filled with bright fruit and woven baskets. No one rushed us.