| From | Car | Bus |
|---|---|---|
| From CopiapóGoogle Maps | 147 km on Route 5 (Ruta 5) south; about 2 h. | More than 50 departures a day Copiapó–Vallenar; between 1 h 35 min and 2 h. |
| From La SerenaGoogle Maps | 193 km on Ruta 5 Norte; about 2 h 45 min. | From La Serena's Terminal Rodoviario (Amunátegui 107), dozens of departures a day; from 2 h to almost 4 h depending on the service. |
| From SantiagoGoogle Maps | 662 km on Ruta 5 Norte; about 8 h. | From the San Borja and Alameda terminals, more than 50 daily departures, many overnight; between 8 h 30 min and 10 h. |
You'll want a car. Three wineries are 15 km or less from Vallenar; the one in the upper valley, at El Tránsito, is 70 km away on routes C-485 and C-495, 1 h 30 min of bends. The Copiapó one is 150 km north.
Harvest: in February, according to the valley's wineries.
Early harvest, from February. The Vendimia Valle del Huasco (Huasco Valley harvest festival) is held in April at a winery in Vallenar (in 2026, 17 and 18 April). Desert climate: hot, dry summers and mild winters with almost no rain; in summer, visit early in the day.
A day from Copiapó or La Serena is enough for two wineries next to Vallenar. With a night in Vallenar or Alto del Carmen you can add the upper valley; two wineries have accommodation.
Base town: Vallenar (and Alto del Carmen for the upper Huasco valley).
Accommodation at 2 wineries: Viña Armidita, Tres Quebradas.
Where the visits are concentrated:
Flagship grapes:
No Vallenar–Alto del Carmen–El Tránsito rural bus was confirmed, nor regular tours from Copiapó or La Serena. Earlier editions of the festival (April 2023 and 2024) appear only in press summaries. Harvest month according to one winery's profile; the Santiago terminals come from a ticket comparison site, not from the companies.
Hollow dots are approximate locations. Open this valley in the map with filters.
Those open to visitors first.
Family winery founded in 2017 in Imperial Alto, in the Huasco Valley, deep in the Atacama Desert: Garnacha, Malbec and Moscatel, Prófugo pisco, visits by booking and a lodge for two among the vines.
Family winery in the Tránsito Valley, in the upper Huasco, that makes Moscatel Pajarete, pisco and gin; it has cabins on the property and takes visits by appointment.
Family winery on a limestone terrace of the Huasco Valley, in Vallenar: award-winning Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Garnacha, and visits by booking to the vineyard, the soil pit and the cellar.
The last winery within the city of Copiapó, with pergola-trained vines since 1947: red, white, rosé, chicha and the sweet aged Golden Tea, all tasted and sold at its wine shop with no booking needed.
Family winery planted in 2017 in the middle of the desert, in the El Colmo area of Vallenar (Huasco Valley). Tours with a tasting of wines and Thomas Gray pisco, and lunch served in old wagons.
