Up very early for sail-in to Coquimbo our gateway to
Chile...the start of the day was chilly and very overcast. It reminded me of
the weather I had 10 years ago as we approached Coquimbo, overcast and foggy… Ann, Cathy and myself were met outside the
gate by our tour guide Paulina and our driver Wilson. Driving through the
English Quarter of Coquimbo our first stop was Fort Lambert. Built in 1865 in
order to protect Coquimbo from Spain, it offers a nice view of the southern
entrance of the bay. Climbing through the steep and winding streets of Coquimbo
passing many colorful wall murals, we arrived at the Third Millennium Cross, a
monument commemorating the 2000 years of Christianity... The cross is 93 meters
high making it the tallest cross in South America. Next, we drove to Herradura
a pleasant horseshoe bay north of Coquimbo. Our tour continued to the adjacent
city of La Serena where we did a walking tour of the Plaza de Armas, surrounded
by churches, shops and La Recova craft market. Leaving the downtown area, we
drove to the beach to see the El Faro Lighthouse. We followed Avenue Del Mar,
the coastal road connecting La Serena and Coquimbo back to the port. Based on a
recommendation from Peter Janssen, Executive Housekeeper, we made a stop at the
Huentelauquen Restaurant and Bar on Avenue del Mar to try the cheese empanadas.
The Huentelauquen has the best empanadas ever and is a unique place with loads
of really neat collectibles...a great stop! Returning to the port area, we had
the driver drop us off and we visited the fish market and strolled along the
Malecón back to the ship...it was a lovely day in Coquimbo and La Serena. Thanks so much to Paulina and Wilson for
making our day perfect!!!!
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