Road trip along Chile’s North Coast – Huasco to Bahia Inglesa

When heading further north after La Serena one of the easiest and fastest roads to take is the highway Ruta 5. However, for me, being the easiest and fastest road doesn’t always mean that it’s the best route to choose. Whenever possible, I like to take my time to travel slowly and explore some small villages, hidden beaches, and other off the beaten track areas along the way.

In this blog I share our route from Huasco along the coast to Bahia Inglesia. It includes lots of beautiful spots, small villages, and two amazing wild camping spots. Click here to see the detailed route.

Taking this alternative route was a tip from Patricio, the owner of the amazing Viento Sur Astrocamping where we have stayed a few nights earlier. 

Huasco  

Our first stop after La Serena was Huasco, a small seaside town and great place to stock up on supplies before heading into the more remote areas. 

On the other side of the large bay you can already see the desert like landscape you'll be driving through. 

We found this quiet wild camping spot right on the cliffs just outside of town. 

On one side we had beautiful views over an old railway track, the little port, and dolphins... 

...but on the other side we were overlooking one of the largest power plants in Chile. Beauty is a matter of perspective... 

Ruta C 10

This road is in fantastic condition. It's pathed all the way and we had it almost to ourselves. Just be careful when it's windy as it might cause the sand dunes to spill over onto the road. 

There are lots of small holiday villages along the road. When we drove by in August they were all ghost towns but probably get busy during the summer.  

Amazing desert landscapes with lots of sand dunes. 

Playa Agua de Luna

Our first encounter with flowers in the desert 

Llanos de Challe National Park with different hiking trails

Were were lucky to experience the beginning of the desert bloom, a climatic phenomenon which only occurs every few years.

Puerto Viejo - the only town which had a few inhabitants during the winter months. We even found a small shop selling delicious fresh Empanads.   

Our amazing wild camping spot at Playa Bahia Cisne. Just the beach, the desert, and us. 

Bahia Inglesa

It's easy to see why this beautiful calm bay is a famous summer holiday destinations for Chileans. There you can find many restaurants, hotels, and clubs to dance the night away. 

But once again, we had it pretty much to ourselves.