Far lesser known than its northern sibling, the Elquí Valley, the Valle del Limarí has several worthwhile cultural, archeological and agricultural sites of its own that aren’t as clogged with summer tourists. An increasing number of travelers have come to prefer the Limarí Valley’s wide vistas and small villages for their relative obscurity and tranquil atmosphere. The history of the valley’s development is evident in what has been left behind. Indigenous art and artifacts have been discovered side-by-side with Spanish haciendas and modern pisco distilleries—in some places lying nearly on top of each other.

The Municipality of Ovalle is currently working hard to attract more visitors to the region. As a result, there’s a lot of useful information available on things to do while visiting. The Valle del Encanto, for instance, is one of Chile’s most famous archeological sites. It has stunning petroglyphs and mysterious painted rocks. It’s easy to catch a colectivo or micro from Ovalle to several of the nearby towns, like the little town of Monte Patria that's perched above the third largest dam in the world. You can also visit the valley’s thermal bath resort, its many religious tourism sites and its famous cloud forest that opens out to the sea.

It can be tricky to navigate this region without a car, since there are no regular buses that pass between many these sites and Ovalle. Plan transportation in advance.