The Atacama desert starts disappearing near the third region of Atacama, being replaced by the transversal valleys of the fouth region of Coquimbo. Thanks to a privileged climate, this area stands out by the quality of its beaches, the clarity of the sky and the fertility of its valleys.
Located between the second and third regions, the Pan de Azucar National Park, stands out because there is a very unusual colony of penguins. Towards the south, we find the city of Chañaral and the copper mine El Salvador.
Continuing along the coast to the south, we find the resort and mining port of Caldera, the most important of the third region. Nearby, is Bahia Inglesa, a famous resort with white sand beaches and blue waters, as if in Caribbean fashion.
Almost parallel to Copiapo – capital city of the third region – in the Andean Range, we find the national park Nevado de Tres Cruces, whose lagoons are the home for a rich variety of birds.
This, together with Pan de Azucar and Llanos de Challe on the coast, are the only protected areas in the region of Atacama. And in the frontier, the highest active volcano in the world: the snowed volcano Nevado Ojos del Salado.
With a better land and climate, the population and number of cities increase. From La Serena, capital city of the fourth region and the tourism of the area, it is possible to get to places as magical and beautiful as Valle del Elqui, or the villages of Pisco Elqui and Vicuña, birthplaces of pisco and the poetess Gabriela Mistral.
The clearest skies of the south hemisphere are in this area of the country, which has allowed the establishment of famous observatories: Las Campanas, La Silla, Comunal Cerro Mamalluca, El Tololo, Cerro Morado, and the European Southern Observatory.
In the coast, near Ovalle City, the Fray Jorge National Park has unique characteristics in the country: the arboreal species in it have their normal habitat in the south of the country. Some other protected areas of the region are the National Reservation Las Chinchillas, and the Talinay National Park.
Los Vilos and Pichidangui are small resorts, with an easy access and good tourist facilities.
For more regional information on the Small North Region, go to: