Valley of Enchantment tour: Petroglyphs and shamanic sites

Walk among thousands of years of stone carvings in a single afternoon

A full-day tour from La Serena visits the Valley of Enchantment, an ancient shamanic and astronomical center of the Molle culture, with stops at coastal landmarks, a working fishing village, and a surfer's beach. The tour includes lunch at a local restaurant, a live guide in English or Spanish, and roughly two to three hours of walking among indigenous petroglyphs, mortars and paintings carved into the valley's large stones. Hotel pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Valley of Enchantment and surroundings

• Depart from La Serena historic area
• See Cross of the Third Millennium and Mosque of Coquimbo
• View Guayacan pirates' bay and copper export site
• Visit beautiful surfer's paradise beach
• Explore picturesque coastal resort and fishermen's houses
• Tour important artistic and shamanic center with indigenous engravings
• Have lunch at typical Chilean restaurant

The experience

You leave La Serena through its founding terraces and historic monuments, then head south along the coast. The route passes the Cross of the Third Millennium and the Mosque of Coquimbo before reaching Guayacan, a bay where pirates once sheltered from Spanish conquest and where the first copper exports in world history began. The drive connects the city's colonial past to the region's deeper indigenous and maritime history in a single arc.

The Valley of Enchantment itself is the centerpiece: a semi-arid ravine that became the artistic, astronomical and ceremonial heart of Chilean prehistory. Thousands of stones bear engravings, paintings and mortars left by the Molle culture, a nomadic people who settled here attracted by the climate, precious stones and ocean access. You walk among these carvings for roughly two to three hours, moving through landscapes that reveal how this culture understood the sky, the earth and ritual. The guide explains what the engravings represent and the role this place held in regional life.

Between the valley and the return to La Serena, you stop at two coastal sites. One is a surfer's beach with cacti and shrubs framing the sand and an islet that creates unusual wave conditions. The other is a quiet fishing cove known for colorful houses, calm waters and more indigenous stones drilled by hand. Lunch happens at a local restaurant with typical Chilean food (an entry, main course, dessert and soft drinks) with options to choose from. The tour runs about seven and a half hours total, though it can be shortened if the group prefers less walking.

What’s included

• Lunch with entry, main course, dessert and soft drinks at a local restaurant.
• hotel pickup from La Serena.
• live guide in English or Spanish.
• onboard restroom.
• walking access to the Valley of Enchantment petroglyphs and coastal sites.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupUp to 40

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Tembeta

Is this one for you?At seven and a half hours, this tour fills most of a day but leaves room for breakfast before pickup and an evening in La Serena after return. The walking can be shortened if you prefer a gentler pace, so it works for mixed fitness levels as long as you're comfortable on your feet for a couple of hours.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly are the petroglyphs and engravings I'll see in the Valley of Enchantment?

The Valley of Enchantment holds thousands of stones carved by the Molle culture over centuries: engravings, paintings and mortars that served artistic, astronomical and ceremonial purposes. The carvings teach what this ancient shamanic culture believed about the sky, the land and ritual practice, and the concentration of them in one place is considered unparalleled in Chilean prehistory.

How much walking is involved on this tour?

You walk around two to three hours total, mostly in the Valley of Enchantment among the stone carvings and through the ravine landscape. The tour can be shortened depending on the group's pace and preference, so let your guide know if you need a different rhythm.

What's included in the lunch, and are there options if I have dietary preferences?

Lunch at a local restaurant includes an entry, main course, dessert and soft drinks, with different menu options to choose from so you can pick what suits you.

Does the tour visit any coastal sites, or is it all in the valley?

The tour includes three coastal stops: the Guayacan bay where pirates sheltered and copper exports began; a surfer's beach with an attached islet and cacti-lined sand; and a quiet fishing village with colorful houses and calm waters, where more indigenous hand-drilled stones are visible.