A night between sky and earth
Three guided hours between sky and earth: naked eye, professional telescopes, live astrophotography, and local tastings woven through the night.
How the night unfolds
Welcome and orientation
We gather at nightfall. We talk about what you'll see, how the southern sky works and how the celestial vault moves over the valley.
The sky with the naked eye
Together we'll learn to find our way around the night sky without instruments — the Southern Cross, the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds. Your eyes are the first telescope.
Telescope observation
We aim the telescopes at local and deep-space objects: clusters, nebulae, galaxies, the Moon and the planets visible that night.
Live astrophotography
With astrophotography telescopes we digitally observe faint objects the eye can't reach — the universe captured in real time in front of you.
The flavors of Elqui
Between observations, we share the fruits of the valley: jams, sweets, juices, cheeses, meats, wines and spirits from the area, depending on the season.
The night in photos
Moments from our nights in the valley. Tap a photo to see it full size.
What's included
- ✓ Academically trained guides
- ✓ Guided naked-eye observation
- ✓ Observation with 3 professional telescopes
- ✓ Live astrophotography session
- ✓ Tasting of Elqui products
Good to know
- · Bring warm clothing: the valley night is cold
- · Suitable for the whole family
- · Languages: Spanish, English and Portuguese
- · Subject to clear-sky conditions
- · Limited spots per night
- · Meeting point near the Peralilo junction, under 7 km from Vicuña. The exact spot is confirmed when you book
Tour details
The gear, in detail
Sky-Watcher Dobson 300p
Large aperture for maximum light-gathering. Ideal for the Moon, the planets, open and globular clusters, and bright nebulae.
William Optics GT81
Wide-field apochromatic optics, with no chromatic aberration. Our astrophotography instrument.
Celestron C11
Our high-resolution specialist. Fine detail on planets, the Moon and bright deep-sky objects.
What we've photographed
Some of the objects Jorge and Patricia have captured with their own gear. Each photo opens its page on Telescopius, where we publish our astrophotography with more details.
Your guides
Jorge Valencia
I'm a Computer Engineer, with a Diploma in Fundamentals of Astronomy (University of Chile).
The sky has had my head spinning since I was a kid. My final thesis ended up being about ALMA, training engineers on the observatory's software with robotic telescopes lent to us by ESO. Then came twenty years of corporate software, until the pandemic, when our family bought a telescope with no idea where it would take us.
It brought us here to the Elqui Valley, and we started dreaming of doing this for real. I run these nights because I want to give back something of what this sky gave me: to swap the screen for an eyepiece and stand next to you the first time you see Saturn.
Patricia Trejo
I'm a Computer Engineer, with an MSc in Computer Engineering Sciences and a degree in Industrial Engineering (Federico Santa María Technical University), and a Diploma in Fundamentals of Astronomy (University of Chile).
I've spent twenty years working in technology, but I came to astronomy as an amateur, with a first telescope and many nights of trial and error in Elqui and Río Hurtado. I learned to find my way around the sky, then to photograph it, and at some point looking stopped being enough: I wanted to understand why a star shines the way it does and how a nebula forms. That's why I went back to studying.
I guide these nights because I believe this sky shouldn't be a privilege for whoever owns gear or has training. We live under one of the best skies on the planet, and every year there is more artificial light covering it. My aim is simple: that you leave here understanding what you're seeing, able to recognise it on your own, and wanting to keep looking up.
Book your night in Elqui
Pick a date and we'll review the weather and moon phase together so you see the best possible sky.
Book the tour