HD British Coquimbo

Duration: 1 day

Highlights: Barrio Ingles, British Cemetery, Guayacan, La Herradura.

Half day tour exploring Coquimbo's British past.

Itinerary

FULL LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
Coquimbo is a city with a surprisingly British flavour. Surprising that is until you look back 150 years or so to a time when the British mining companies were extracting sulphate and copper from the nearby Andes, and when railway lines were being laid across the north of the country linking the major towns. Take a step back a further 150 years, and the bays and coves of this area were awash with pirates and corsairs, tales of heroism and treachery, and treasure; lots of treasure. When Charles Darwin arrived to Coquimbo on May 14th 1835, he claimed “the town is remarkable for nothing but its extreme quietness”, but this unique shore experience is designed to reveal the secrets of the swashbuckling times of Sir Francis Drake, the brief visit by Darwin to these shores, and the industries, which have all left an unmistakably British finger print in this area.

Your guide today is none other than Judith Plaza, British Warden (the Consul’s representative) for Coquimbo & La Serena, and by far the most important authority on the British past, present and future in this area.

Depart from the port of Coquimbo to the nearby Barrio Inglés, an historical, picturesque quarter opposite the port that stands as a testament to the strong British influence in the city. The British settlers arrived to the area in the mid-1800s, mainly because of the mining industry, and the legacy remains in the architecture of this barrio, as well as in the nearby British Cemetery. The cemetery was built in 1860 during the peak of the mining industry, and houses beautiful gravestones and crosses imported from Europe.

On the southern slope of the Coquimbo peninsula is Guayacán, a mechanized port, full of legendary treasures and a church designed by Eiffel. The bay was used by the Navy as a shelter from big storms, its form of a horseshoe having a narrow entrance just wide enough to permit the ships to pass through and anchor in the bay. This was the perfect hideaway, and indeed during the 17th century, pirates, buccaneers and corsairs often put down their sails and anchored there. Legend has it that somewhere in the bay lays a treasure trove hidden by the English during the Spanish attacks. Others say that Francis Drake hid treasure in nearby caves. To this day, people still search for the treasure, and the subject remains a source of constant debate, and hope for the city’s potential treasure seekers.

Upon arrival to La Herradura, you will be invited to sample a selection of the delicious local seafood as you look out onto the Bay of Herradura and the Drake monument, while listening to tales of a bygone era that shaped the region.

Return to Coquimbo along the Pan-American Highway to rejoin the ship.
 
SHORT LENGTH TOUR DESCRIPTION
Coquimbo is a city with a surprisingly British flavour. This unique experience is designed to reveal the secrets of the swashbuckling times of Sir Francis Drake, the brief visit by Darwin to these shores, and the industries which have all left an unmistakably British finger print in this area.
 
TIMING BREAKDOWN
00:00 - 00:10 Drive to the Barrio Inglés
00:00 - 00:30 Barrio Inglés Walking Tour
00:30 - 00:40 Drive to the British Cemetery
00:40 - 01:10 British Cemetery
01:10 - 01:25 Drive to Guayacán
01:25 - 02:00 Guayacán, including Eiffel church
02:00 - 02:10 Drive to La Herradura
02:10 - 03:10 La Herradura Drake Monument and Snack
03:10 - 03:30 Return drive to the pier

Approximate duration: 3½ hours
 
OPERATIONAL NOTES
- Includes the services of an English-speaking guide
- Bottled mineral water included
- Activity level is Easy