Chile Chico - the small north is situated only 500 kilometres north of Santiago. Airplanes from Santiago arriving three times per day in La Serena, a Health and Seaside Resort at the Pacific. Visitors from distant countries hardly know this region. Nevertheless, well known is the term "Pisco" which is a colourless and natural brandy extracted from the grapes of the local sunny vineyards. When autumn and winter starts on the northern hemisphere, the holiday season, which is from October to April, begins here in this mild and dry climate. The blue Pacific with its hidden fishing villages and little villages in the wild Andes is part of this region as well as lonely valleys, endless mountain trails, and the peace and silence of the Andes over which the Condors are flying. A well-known holiday resort is Pisco de Elqui in the valley with the same name. The Rio Hurtado valley is situated nearby, only 15 kilometers as the crow flies to the west and that`s  where the Hacienda is located. One of the northern Chile's Indian ceremony places, in best condition, is situated in this green valley, only a 2 hours horseback ride away from the Hacienda Los Andes.

More than fourty rock paintings are the last traces of the ancient Indian culture of the Diaguitas. They owned gold mines, which attracted the Incas to come to the Hurtado valley some time later. They introduced the irrigation system with a labyrinth of channels. This system was even used by the Spaniards from the 16th century on, and still the farmers today are profiting from it. The Spaniards followed the old trade trail of the Incas, known as Inca trail, upstream the Rio Hurtado and further over the Andes.

They gave this pass its name "Linia Santa Rosa" and still today thousands of animals with their herdsmen follow this trail from Chile to the summer pastures in Argentina like some hundreds years ago. The Hurtado district has only about 250 kilometres roads which can be travelled by car, and thousands kilometers of cattle trails which are travelled by the people (and by our guests) on horseback. Naturally, there have been changes besides the original life as well and that is good: small hospitals, schools, parish halls, restored villages and democratic developments reflect a new Chile.

Visitors to this region will find a mixture of the old Chilean culture and the achievements of the new century. The hospitable people who can be met here are small farmers, herdsmen, workmen and cattle breeders.                       

They live in small villages surrounded by huge and colourful mountains, semi-desert landscapes, steppes, and a wide Sierra.

The sky is bright blue more than 300 days a year. The crystal-clear and absolutely clean air attracted like a magnet astronomers.

The well-known observatories of the European Union, U.S.A. and Canada are situated here.

This fascinating starlit night sky is pure Andean nature and is worth exploring during your holiday!