Elqui valley Chile
Published on 12 November 2011 by Matt Wilson  ||  comments (2)  ||  category: Elqui valley Chile

One of my favorite places in Chile is the Elqui Valley. I have been several times in my seven years in Chile, and I never bore of it up there.

From my home in Santa Cruz it’s around an 8 hour drive north.

Famous for it’s pisco, it also has some vineyards up there growing grapes for wine. A lot of wineries have syrah from that region. In fact my wife has bought syrah grapes from Elqui.

It’s a very laid back area. Known for hippies and a magnetic rock covered in petroglyphs of llamas and a snake.

I was there last week with Matt Ridgway of (chileinvestments.com) We spent a few days up there. I needed to get some new images for a client and Matt needed to check out some properties.

So here is a series of photographs made over the last few years

Magnetic rock, covered in petroglyphs of llamas and a snake

Chillies drying in the hot Elqui sun, to make merquen (a hot spice powder)

Rickety bridge over the river Elqui

Fast flowing cold water straight from melting snow on the mountains

pretty church in the town of Pisco

View high above the town of Monte Grande

local farmers and their dog

Roadside vendor selling, cheese, papayas and freshwater shrimp

Young boys on a bike high above the lush Elqui valley

Dead vineyard, normally under several meters of water, above the Elqui dam

Dead bush, above the lush green valley

Matt Ridgway walks across a dried lake bed

Another view of the dead vineyard above the Elqui dam

Two young horse riders in the town of Monte Grande

Derelict bridge over the river

Fresh water which was melting snow an hour before

Last view of the valley with the town of Pisco in the distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed these images. Please remember they are all copyrighted and any use must first be arranged with Matt Wilson

speech bubblecomments (2)
  1. John Carr
    on November 12, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    Truly gorgeous pictures Matt. Because I was born and raised in Chile, I feel I’m able to smell the air and feel the freshness of the water. When you publish your first book of ‘Lugares de Chile’ (unless you already have) you can put the first copy aside for me.

  2. Matt
    on November 12, 2011 at 8:36 pm

    Hi John, My second book is available on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chile-Country-Mountains-Papianille-Mura/dp/2930358483/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321140862&sr=8-1)
    I have several others I have worked on as well.
    At present I am in discussions over another book based on travel in Chile. I will keep you posted.

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