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- Pisco Elqui — That tiny, sun-baked village is the spiritual heart of the valley: narrow streets, low adobe houses, a relaxed plaza and an almost ceremonial pisco culture. It’s the best place to soak in the valley’s pace, eat simple local food, and wander without an agenda.
- Vicuña town & the Elqui riverside promenade — The valley’s main hub: a busy plaza, local craft stalls, riverside paths and mercados where farmers sell fruit and dried albahaca. It’s where locals run errands, kids play, and you get a real sense of everyday life in the Elqui.
- Embalse Puclaro (Puclaro Reservoir) — Turquoise water cradled by red-brown hills; great for photos, picnic swims, windier water sports and quiet campsites on the shore. I’ll admit it — this is my personal favorite for sunsets and low-effort day escapes.
- Pisco Elqui — That tiny, sun-baked village is the spiritual heart of the valley: narrow streets, low adobe houses, a relaxed plaza and an almost ceremonial pisco culture. It’s the best place to soak in the valley’s pace, eat simple local food, and wander without an agenda.
- Vicuña town & the Elqui riverside promenade — The valley’s main hub: a busy plaza, local craft stalls, riverside paths and mercados where farmers sell fruit and dried albahaca. It’s where locals run errands, kids play, and you get a real sense of everyday life in the Elqui.
- Embalse Puclaro (Puclaro Reservoir) — Turquoise water cradled by red-brown hills; great for photos, picnic swims, windier water sports and quiet campsites on the shore. I’ll admit it — this is my personal favorite for sunsets and low-effort day escapes.
- Valle de Cochiguaz — Hidden gem. A narrow side-valley with dramatic walls, tiny vineyards and incredibly quiet trails. Locals go here to escape crowds; geology and light make it feel like a slice of another planet at dusk.
- Montegrande — Hidden gem. A tiny hamlet of stone and adobe lanes up-valley with old houses, steep terraces and those classic Elqui views. It’s beloved by locals for its authenticity — fewer cafés, more goats — and a good place to feel how people actually lived here before tourism.
- Paihuano and its backcountry walks — Small, working-town energy and the jump-off to higher, quieter parts of the valley. Fruit orchards, acequias (irrigation canals) you can walk beside, and short hikes that reward with panoramic views without the crowds.
- Small, family-run pisco spots around Pisco Elqui — Not big “tourist factories” but actual family producers where you can taste the difference between pisco made with local sun-ripened grapes and the industrial stuff. The experience — hanging out in a courtyard, tasting from small barrels and hearing stories from the makers — is very Elqui.
- Rivadavia & local river swimming holes — Hidden gem. A handful of tiny settlements and rocky river coves upstream where locals picnic and jump into cold mountain water. Easy to miss if you stick to main roads, but perfect for a hot afternoon and a slice of rural life.
- Elqui River gorge walks & acequias — The valley’s irrigation channels and riverside tracks aren’t glamorous but they’re uniquely Elqui: orchards of citrus and grapevines, weathered stonework and those wide, luminous skies. Walking these paths gives a real feel for the valley’s agricultural rhythm.
- Night sky from a countryside campo — The valley’s dry air and high elevation make for ridiculously clear skies; you don’t need an observatory to get blown away. Lay a blanket outside a farmstead or a guesthouse, let your eyes adapt, and you’ll see a starfield you probably won’t forget — a simple, deeply local experience.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.