In northern Chile, nestled among arid mountains and under some of the clearest skies on the planet, the Elqui Valley is one of the country's most unique territories: at once the birthplace of Chilean pisco and home to some of the world's most advanced astronomical observatories.
The birthplace of Chilean pisco
The Elqui Valley's microclimate, with intense sunlight and mineral-rich soils, has made it the historic heart of Chilean pisco production. Small and large distilleries alike open their doors to visitors for tastings and tours explaining the distillation process of this grape brandy, at the centre of a long-standing dispute with Peru over the origin of the name.
Under the clearest skies in the world
Thanks to its dry air, high altitude and near-total absence of light pollution, the Elqui Valley hosts some of the most advanced astronomical observatories on the planet, alongside smaller tourist observatories where visitors can observe planets, nebulae and star clusters through professional telescopes, often guided by astronomy enthusiasts who also share the region's local legends about UFO sightings.