El Colorado to Pisco Elqui is about 384 road miles (618 km): roughly 8 h 11 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Chile. Advisory issued: Chile August 19, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Chile: “Use caution when walking or driving at night, especially if alone.”
| Distance by road | 384 mi (618 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | G-21 → D-201 → D-485 |
| Regions on the route | Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 15.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving El Colorado to Pisco Elqui: the shape of the trip
G-21 (21 mi) and D-485 (13 mi) carry about 9% of the 384 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from El Colorado to Pisco Elqui
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| G-21 | 1–22 | 21 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| local roads | 22–36 | 14 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| connecting roads | 36–37 | 1 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago |
| local roads | 37–321 | 284 | Región Metropolitana de Santiago, Valparaíso, Coquimbo |
| connecting roads | 321–322 | 1 | Coquimbo |
| local roads | 322–334 | 12 | Coquimbo |
| connecting roads | 334–335 | 1 | Coquimbo |
| D-201 | 335–339 | 4 | Coquimbo |
| local roads | 339–371 | 32 | Coquimbo |
| D-485 | 371–384 | 13 | Coquimbo |
- Mile 68 of this route: Región Metropolitana de Santiago → Valparaíso (region line)
- Mile 152 of this route: Valparaíso → Coquimbo (region line)
Stops between El Colorado and Pisco Elqui
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Japonés de La Serena (mile 321), Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña (mile 359)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque natural San Carlos de Apoquindo (mile 20), Jardín Botánico Mapulemu (mile 31), La Campana National Park (mile 91), Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park (mile 263), Parque Japonés de La Serena (mile 321), Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña (mile 359)
- Museums and history: Museo de Cera de Las Condes (mile 25), Museo Histórico Dominico (mile 31), Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña (mile 359)
Parque natural San Carlos de Apoquindo
On the east side of Las Condes, Parque natural San Carlos de Apoquindo offers mountain bike trails and hiking routes up to summits such as Alto Las Vizcachas, Morro del Guayacán and Cerro Provincia.
National Astronomical Observatory
On Cerro Calán in Las Condes, Chile's National Astronomical Observatory is owned and operated by the University of Chile's Department of Astronomy.
Museo de Cera de Las Condes
Wax figures fill the Museo de Cera de Las Condes, a public museum that opened in July 2019 inside Parque Los Dominicos in the Las Condes district of Santiago.
Museo Histórico Dominico
The Museo Histórico Dominico is housed in the Recoleta Dominica Heritage Center, on the grounds of the Recoleta Dominica church and convent.
Jardín Botánico Mapulemu
La Campana National Park
In Chile's coastal range northwest of Santiago, La Campana National Park protects the Chilean palm that Charles Darwin studied on his 1834 visit. Trails climb toward Cerro La Campana, and the park also holds petroglyphs and the Salto La Cortadera waterfall.
Bosque de Fray Jorge National Park
Near Ovalle in Chile's semi-arid north, Fray Jorge National Park shelters a fog-fed forest of species typical of southern Chile, such as olivillo and canelo. A short marked loop trail winds through it, and the park is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Parque Japonés de La Serena
Opened in 1994, La Serena's Japanese Park (Parque Jardín del Corazón) is a Japan-themed garden with plant and animal species from that country.
Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña
Opened in 1994, this private museum in Vicuña holds about 26,000 specimens, mostly insects, mollusks and birds, from Chile and other parts of Latin America, along with fossils.
More drives to Pisco Elqui
- Coquimbo to Pisco Elqui
- Punta de Choros to Pisco Elqui
- Copiapó to Pisco Elqui
- Reñaca to Pisco Elqui
- Quintay to Pisco Elqui
- Algarrobo to Pisco Elqui
From El Colorado to other places in Chile
- El Colorado to Algarrobo
- El Colorado to Quintay
- El Colorado to Reñaca
- El Colorado to Vicuña
- El Colorado to Punta de Choros
- El Colorado to Portillo
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from El Colorado to Pisco Elqui?
About 8 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 384 miles.
What is the driving distance from El Colorado to Pisco Elqui?
About 384 miles (618 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the El Colorado to Pisco Elqui drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from El Colorado to Pisco Elqui use?
In order: G-21, D-201 and D-485. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between El Colorado and Pisco Elqui?
Closest to the road: Jardín Botánico Mapulemu (botanical garden, mile 31, 1 mi from the route); Parque Japonés de La Serena (park, mile 321, 0.3 mi from the route); Entomological and Natural History Museum of Vicuña (natural history museum, mile 359, 0.6 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.