On my last trip to Chile I went to visit my friend Cristobal (one of the 3) and his partner Pata at Guayacan, both enthusiastic people, with passion for what they are doing. I tried all their beers and I gave them my opinion about them. There is a lot that can be done still with Guayacan, but what they’ve already achieved is sensational, the first premium brewery in the Elqui Valley.
It was in 2008 when they decided to establish Guayacán Brewery (http://www.cervezaguayan.cl/). They are based in the North of Chile, specifically in the IV Region of Coquimbo.
From the beginning of this adventure Cristobal, Andres and Victor have a common vision :
-To form a unique and innovating project, that is the first beer of the Elqui Valley.
-To use one of best waters of Chile in the production, since water is the essence of a good beer.
-To encourage the development of a tourist circuit with the Wineries, Pisqueras and other companies of the area to promote the Elqui Valley and its products .
-To help put the town of Diaguitas "on the map". Diaguitas is named after the original indigenous population of this area. Their cultural traditions are a colourful and attractive drawcard.
-To generate work opportunities in the area.
-To contribute to the decentralization of Chile, creating new projects and opportunities outside Santiago.
After 1 year of endless work, Guayacan was opened on the 18th of September of 2009, on our Chilean National Day. The brewery intends to supply all the restaurants, hotels and bars of the Elqui Valley, La Serena, Coquimbo and Santiago.
I travelled from Santiago by road with my partner Fran. We enjoyed the "road trip experience" so much because it was more than 10 years ago since I was there, and my goodness, Chile is getting better and better !!!
The Elqui Valley is located approximately 500 km to the North of Santiago and runs from the City of La Serena towards the Andes Mountains, beside the Elqui River.
Travelling from La Serena the road goes through sectors of impressive attractions, such as:The Puclaro dam, which covers a surface of 760 hectares. It supplies potable water and irrigation to valleys of the Elqui and offers excellent conditions for the practice of water sports like windsurfing and kitesurfing.
60 km to the east of La Serena city is Vicuña, with 300 clear sky days during the year. It is a great spot to see the stars. There are 3 international astronomical centres in the sector: Tololo, Gemini and Soar.
The town of Diaguitas, where the Guayacán Brewery is located, 8 km from Vicuña, is one of the most colourful places of the Elqui Valley and it is characterized by a series of houses made in the neo-colonial adobe style. It is located between the impressive Mamalluca hill and the Elqui River. There is a project to declare Diaguitas as National Monument.
The town of Pisco Elqui, at 1,247 meters above sea level, is a beautiful and colourful location that is visited by tourists throughout the year and especially in the summer months. It has two “Pisqueras”, both recognized for the quality of their distilled spirit "Pisco", Chile's national spirit. It also boasts a great variety of restaurants, hotels and tourist activities . This little town is pretty much the Capital of the Elqui Valley.
We visited all these attractions and enjoyed very much the company of Cristobal and Pata. I invite you to visit Guayacan and the Elqui Valley. There are plenty of things to do and most activities are relatively close to each other. The exotic landscapes became part of your every day experience and you can feel so calm and relaxed in this amazing part of Chile.
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