Coquimbo and La Serena, Chile

The beautiful Crown Princess gently docked at Puerto de Coquimbo (Port of Coquimbo) around 7:00 a.m., the gangways were lowered and all passengers were free to go ashore. On this day, there were no tours on our itinerary. Instead, Rick and I were going to walk around Coquimbo and perhaps catch a city bus to La Serena, a quaint town known for pedestrian friendly roads and shopping. We made sure we had Chilean Pesos with us to pay for any transportation and incidentals. The weather began sunny with blue skies and temperatures around 68F (20C) with a slight breeze. 
Once we exited the ship, we walked along the dock, through a small terminal building, to the gates monitored by local police then stepped out into the city...all about 200 yards. Not a large area compared to the ports we had visited thus far. We picked up a map as we were breezing through the terminal so we now opened it up and tried to get our bearings.

  

  

There wasn't much to see in the immediate port area and it was still early in the morning meaning businesses weren't open yet. Not far from the port, we saw El Mural (The Mural). It depicted the birth of Coquimbo since the arrival of its first inhabitants all the way to the traditional "Pampilla" of present times. 

In the distance we could view Cruz Del III Milenio, an impressive cross that was over 300 feet tall (93 meters). It has a chapel, museum and photo gallery. The distance from where we stood to get up the hill to the cross was too far to travel on foot so we decided to fore go the experience. We recently saw Corcovado in Rio which was amazing and hard to beat. 

With not much to do in Coquimbo at that time, we decided to find a city bus near the port and take it to the town of La Serena, located north of Coquimbo. Looking for a sign or marker for a bus stop, we searched. Word had it that there was an express bus that would take us to La Serena for only $1.50 per person each way. Quite a savings compared to a tour offered by the ship that was $47.00 per person round trip. So we decided to take our chances, be adventurous and see if the savings would be worth it. Two blocks from the port entrance, we found an express bus stop. Having exact change in Chilean pesos ready, we got on the bus and Rick asked the driver (in Spanish) basic questions about our destination, which was La Serena. The ride would be about 45 minutes to an hour, give or take. So we found seats and readied for our bus ride. The "express" bus was not quite "express", making several stops along the way. 

  

The road out of Coquimbo gave us a great view of La Mezquita in the distance. It is a scale replica of Katubia Mosque of Marrakesh, Morocco. Beautiful.

  

But we saw the scenery, which was dry and arid, looking more like desert landscaping the further we got from town. 

La Serena is located between the northern Atacama Desert and a mineral-rich central valley. Tourism has started to develop but its main industry is industrial and shipping of fruits, wines and copper. The grapes for the traditional Pisco Sour drink is grown here. La Serena's Spanish roots date back to 1544 and was a popular stop for missionaries traveling throughout Chile. There are palm fringed beaches to the south of La Serena, which makes it a popular getaway spot for busy Santiago residents, the national capital, and only 290 miles to the north.

La Serena is an easy walking city, laid out in a grid centered around the beautifully landscaped Plaza De Armas. It was here that I was approached by a very elderly couple who were walking hand in hand through the park. They could only speak Spanish and mine is limited, at best. It turned into such a sweet, gentle experience. They saw Rick and I holding hands and looking happy and they had to tell us that we looked very much in love. Wishes of a blessed day and to enjoy the city they love and live in, the couple shook our hands, joined their own hands and strolled away into the park. Wow! 

  

  

We did some people watching while sitting on a park bench and soaking up the serenity. Then we hit the shops and I purchased a cute backpack for city walks. 

Taking the advice of some locals we met along the way, we found a cafe tucked along a side street and had something cool to drink. All of this took up approximately 5-6 hours then it was time to head back to the bus stop for our ride back to Coquimbo.

Once we returned to the port and were walking back to the ship, we stopped and watched some boys jumping into the water along the seawall. 

They were having so much fun. Near there we watched as some children played on a red slide shaped like a dolphin which was made of tiles. Interesting.

I would like to mention that the night before, I received a lovely gift from a beautiful, sweet crew member. It was a blessed bracelet from a pilgrimage site called Kamay ni Hesus (Hands of Jesus) located in Lucban Quezon. I couldn't wear it any longer for fear of the elastic breaking and the beads going everywhere. So I keep it on my vanity in my "woman cave" and look at it every day, several times a day. She sent me a picture of this lovely place that I will share with you. I just wanted to say "thanks again" to Sheena Aguda.

  

Once we got back to the ship, we visited with the friendly crew at the Mermaid Bar out by the pool deck and had some fun.

  

The lovely Aleks Sikima trying on a passenger's new hat they purchased in town.

The Crown Princess set sail around 6:00 p.m. in the early evening. Then onwards into the Pacific Ocean for two days at sea. Our biggest excursion was still ahead - the port of Pisco and our tour of Machu Picchu. Bring it on! (continue with me by clicking on this link: South American Cruise 2014 )