Fray Jorge National Park: The Atacama Cloud Forest, the Desert Coastal Cliffs, and the Norte Chico Biodiversity
The Fray Jorge national park route covers the Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge as the most ecologically anomalous single forest in South America, a 400-hectare cloud forest sustained entirely by coastal fog in the middle of the Atacama Desert 100 kilometers south of La Serena, the desert coastal cliffs of the Talinay Peninsula as the most dramatically arid single coastal landscape in the Norte Chico region, and the park's wildlife as the most diverse single desert-adapted fauna assemblage accessible from La Serena.
La Serena Observatory Circuit: Cerro Tololo, Gemini South, the Atacama Dark Sky Reserve, and the Most Observed Night Sky on Earth
The La Serena observatory circuit covers the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory as the most historically significant single astronomical research complex in the Southern Hemisphere, the Gemini South telescope as the most technologically advanced single optical telescope accessible for public tours in Chile, the Coquimbo Region's designation as the most important single astronomical dark sky reserve in South America, and the practical stargazing resources of La Serena as the best single base city for Southern Hemisphere astronomical tourism.
Coquimbo Port Heritage: The Barrio Inglés, the Victorian Merchant Quarter, the Cruz del Tercer Milenio, and the Coquimbo Bay Waterfront
The Coquimbo port heritage route covers the Barrio Inglés as the most authentically Victorian single merchant neighborhood in northern Chile with the most complete single collection of nineteenth-century wooden commercial architecture in the region, the Coquimbo port waterfront as the most historically layered single working harbor in the Norte Chico, the Cruz del Tercer Milenio as the most visually dominant single modern monument in the Coquimbo Bay area, and the Peñón de Coquimbo headland as the most panoramic single natural viewpoint over the bay.
La Serena Historic Center: The Cathedral, the Colonial Arcades, Jardín del Corazón, Parque Pedro de Valdivia, and the Stone Architecture Heritage
La Serena's historic center route covers the Plaza de Armas as the most formally composed colonial square in northern Chile, the Cathedral of La Serena as the most imposing neoclassical church in the Coquimbo Region, the colonial stone arcades as the most distinctive single architectural streetscape surviving from the 1940s Gabriel González Videla urban reconstruction plan, the Jardín del Corazón as the most formally French-inspired single garden in northern Chile, and the Parque Pedro de Valdivia as the most historically layered single public park in the city.
Elqui Valley: Vicuña Town, Pisco Distilleries, the Mamalluca Observatory, and the World's Clearest Night Skies
The Elqui Valley route covers the valley's role as the most astronomically significant single wine-growing valley in the world with the highest density of professional observatories per square kilometer of any region on Earth, Vicuña as the most historically atmospheric single small city in the valley and birthplace of Nobel Prize poet Gabriela Mistral, the pisco distilleries as the most authentic single Chilean pisco production landscape, and Mamalluca observatory as the most accessible single public stargazing facility in South America.
Upper Elqui Valley Culture: Monte Grande Village, Gabriela Mistral's Tomb, Pisco Artisan Culture, and the Cochiguaz Spiritual Community
The upper Elqui Valley cultural route covers Monte Grande as the most intimate single literary pilgrimage site in Chile where Gabriela Mistral's childhood home and tomb are located in the most atmospherically remote single Andean village setting, the artisan pisco culture of Pisco Elqui as the most experientially authentic single spirit-production community in Chile, and Cochiguaz as the most spiritually distinctive single valley community in the country.
La Serena Beaches and Coastline: The Avenida del Mar, Playa Cuatro Esquinas, the Faro Monumental, and the Coquimbo Bay
La Serena's beach and coastline route covers the Avenida del Mar as the most extensively developed single coastal resort boulevard in northern Chile with 7 kilometers of connected Pacific beaches, Playa Cuatro Esquinas as the most family-oriented single beach in the city, the Faro Monumental as the most photographically iconic single coastal landmark in La Serena, and the Coquimbo Bay as the most historically significant single natural harbor in the Norte Chico region.
Andacollo and Limarí Valley: The Mining Pilgrimage Basilica, Monte Patria, the Limarí Wine Route, and the Norte Chico Interior
The Andacollo and Limarí Valley route covers Andacollo as the most important single mining-community pilgrimage site in Chile with the largest annual religious festival in northern Chile, Monte Patria as the most agriculturally diverse single small city in the Limarí interior, the Limarí wine region as the most geologically distinctive single Chilean wine appellation, and the Norte Chico interior landscape as the most dramatic single transition zone between the Atacama Desert and the Mediterranean climate region.