La Serena - City of Chile

La Serena is a Chilean city and commune in Elqui Province and capital of the Coquimbo Region. Founded in 1544, it is the country's third oldest city after Santiago and Arica. It is located 471 km north of Santiago, and has a communal population of 190,716 area, the country's fourth largest conurbation , which includes nearby Coquimbo. and an area of 1,892.80 km. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile, witnessing a population increase of 32.6% between 1992 and 2002.

It was first founded by the German Captain Juan Bohón, in service to the Spanish crown, in September 4, 1544 on the orders of Pedro de Valdivia in order to provide a sea link between Santiago and Lima. In 1549 the town was totally destroyed by local Indians and re-founded the same year by Captain Francisco de Aguirre in a safer location. The town has retained its historic architecture and this, along with a selection of beaches , has caused the city to become a significant tourist centre, attracting many foreigners most of them Argentines from San Juan and Mendoza provinces during January, and later Santiago residents fleeing February heat.

The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena. The Cathedral, built from the same stone, dates from the 19th century. It must be said that although it lacks the same historical value as the older churches, this is a stone building in a country prone to seismic activity, and has survived various earthquakes. Indeed, during centuries of existence, there is almost no visible damage. All of these churches, along with others of minor importance, provide a unique urban landscape, an image for the city, giving it the nickname "The City of Churches."

A few of the major sectors are El Centro, Peñuelas , San Joaquín , La Florida, Las Compañías , Cerro Grande , La Antena and the new El Milagro development.

The city of is located on several oceanic terraces. One agrees the rest of the city on several small hills, fertile plaines and plains.
The climate in the city of La Serena as like in the nearby places it is clearly segmented and by the stationary times in Summer it is characterized for having absence of presentations, but of have abundant morning cloudiness and drizzles these discipan to half a day, to give step to clear skies and hot temperatures.


The old town of the city presents the only architecture in the country, dividing for being the biggest Typical Zone of Chile, adempas of being the zone of architectural and historical preservation inside an urban, more Important zone of the Country. Church stands out his with beautiful models of belfries, there being gained the title of City of the belfries.

The beaches of the Avenida Del Mar shape one of the most crowded walks of La Serena, joining El Faro Monumental, in south direction with an extension of 6 km and adjacent with Peñuelas's beach . Even this way it is necessary to mention that the beaches of La Serena are very torrentosas and I are not used for the practice of swim. In comparison Coquimbo's beaches like that of The Horse-shoe are very top in the calmness of his waters and in the clean of his sands.

This avenue includes 12 sections of beaches known like The Faro, The Forts, Tame, White, The Boat, 4 Corners, The Sea-coast, The Fisherman, The Corsair, Sea horse, The Gulls and Singing of the Water. All of them except the beacon are suitable for the bath and aquatic and nautical sports. In the last years the La Serena Song Festival (created in 2004) has been acquiring nacional importance, due to the great quality of his invited artists. Also projects have approved as a new airport intenacional. also the real-estate complex door of the sea that dara a tourist - residential development to the zone of the Elqui river up to the beacon.

In the commune of La Serena one finds a wide variety of schools, lyceums and colleges. Most of them is concentrated in the city of The Serenade. It exists a great quantity of schools and lyceums (both of public character and free), as well as of colleges .

Lyceum Gregorio Cordovez: Founded in 1821 for Bernardo O'Higgins, it is the second most ancient of the Republican history of Chile.