The main plaza in La Serena is quite pleasant and nicely landscaped. On the Sunday we visited we were pleasantly surprised to find a grandstand set up with a parade dedicated to all the brave fire fighters of the Coquimbo region. Sunday mornings are very quiet in La Serena but everything started to open up and come alive shortly after noon.
This is nice, tiny, parochial and typical postcolonial plaza. Very clean. Nice shades from centenary-old trees, etc. But really, nothing special. Not much else to do in town. A comercial area is on the west part of the area, behind the church. We did walk east-bound (the exact opposite to the church) and found a beautiful street with old houses and nice views.Dead empty....very few people here.
The plaza is perfect to start exploring the city centre. You've the cathedral, a temporary market, and loads of shops around. There is a nice vibe going around, and the place feels safe.
Really nice little town. It is not the cleanest or most luxurious place but it is peaceful and the people are really nice. I forgot my adapter and I looked around to try and find one to buy. Because I went for the week of independence celebration, a lot of the stores were closed. One guy at one of the opened shops let me borrow his; his name was Michael, I returned it as I said I would. Even though it was just an adapter, that spoke much volume to me about the type of people that live there.
Came on a Sunday. People were just hanging out and doing the typical sleepy Sunday thing. Nothing amazing, but tranquil and nice.
If you want to feel you are taken back in time, make sure you spend sometime at Plaza de Armas, very pretty with plenty of Spanish influence, with a colonial flavour.Even the roads around the central area are all tiles, have never seen before that cars ride on the tiled floors, with faroles stands for lighting on the plaza and roads. Very nice experience overall.
After living in La Serena for 6 months, I have a special affinity for this Plaza. At first, it was a meeting point - a central destination that I could easily find when I hadn't yet learned about the rest of the city. But over time it became a lovely digression from the bustling commercial center, and I found excuses to spend time watching all of La Serena's life pass through. There are plenty (though never quite enough) of benches from which to watch parents guiding the the battery-powered playcars their children would 'drive', gossipy old men feeding pigeons, young couples lounging in the grass or artisans selling papaya products and handmade jewelry. A lovely spot you can't miss if passing through La Serena.
What I loved about the Plaza is the old fashioned quality of life and architecture. I enjoyed watching the men get their shoes shined. It was both peaceful and full of hustle and bustle. Great for people watching. Just a block away from shopping and food vendors and some really cool restaurants.
A nice area to chill out. Pretty fountain and nice market near by.
La Serena, is a easy walking city, laid out in a grid centered around a beautiful landscaped Plaza de Armas. Lots of colonial buildings and 19th century cathedral. La Recova - the marketplace surrounds the plaza.