travel south america chile coquimbo & la serena countryside
From the port of Coquimbo (for Santiago) we did two days of wine tasting tours... one to the Ovalle area and one to the Casablaca Valley.
While we didn't go into Santiago, we did see a lot of the countryside to the south and southeast.
The trip to Ovalle included a visit to the Monumento Nacional Valle Del Encanto to see some ancient petroglyphs.
We were amazed at how dry and desert-like most of the area was with very few inhabitants before we got to the river vallies where the wineries were.
We were told the area was in the midst of a severe draught.
The images below, in order of travel, show what we saw on our trip to the Ovalle area.
LINK TO WIKIPEDIA'S WEB PAGE ON CHILE
LINK TO WIKIPEDIA'S WEB PAGE ON COQUIMBO
TRAVEL: March, 2024...
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unless noted otherwise all images copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc
Example of the countryside on Highway 5 to the south of Coquimbo, Chile, 2024.
Quiebada Seca, a small village in the countryside on Highway 5 between Coquimbo and Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
Quebada Seca, between Coquimbo and Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
An example of the dry cactus covered countryside, Coquimbo to Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
Small settlement with it's water tower, countryside between Coquimbo and Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
Restaurante complex along Highway 5 south of Coquimbo, Chile, 2024.
Our first look at the Limari River Valley, the location of Ovalle, from Highway 5, south of Coquimbo, Chile, 2024.
This was the first vineyard we saw along Highway 45 approaching Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
After the vineyard, we were back in the desert again along Highway 45, near Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
In the background, you can see the modern CCU plant (below), seemingly in the middle of nowhere.
The modern Ovalle plant with solar panels, Compania Pisquiera de Chile, Ovalle, Chile, 2024.
This modern distillery and drink plant belongs to CCU, a huge drink company, Chile's largest, with sites in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Columbia, and Peru.
They produce beer, mineral water, soft drinks, and malt beverages, including labels often seen in the US.
LINK TO WEB PAGE FOR CCU OVALLE PLANT AND THEIR SOLAR PANELS
LINK TO WIKIPEDIA'S WEB PAGE ON COMPANIA DE LAS CERVECERIAS UNIDAS
copyright d. holmes chamberlin jr architect llc
page last revised august 2024