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In the 16th century, the Bay of Coquimbo was barely registered as a transit cove for the scarce Spanish navigation and administratively it was a landing stage for the Villa de San Bartolomé de La Serena. At that time there was no stable population in its environment so it could not function as a port, an essential requirement for the administration of a commercial or defense enclave established by the Indiano Cedulario, in its ordinances created by Carlos V, King of Spain.





It is not until 1810, after the Independence of Chile, that Coquimbo is opened as a major port. This originates an opening to the trade of all the flags of the free world, generating an unprecedented port activity. The extractive mining activity in northern Chile is at its peak; copper, saltpeter and silver, whose capitals handled in a high percentage by Great Britain causes a strong migratory flow to be generated towards this southern side of the world.



Family groups from the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States come to settle in the bay. Unlike cities with a Hispanic tradition, with urban grid layouts, these foreign communities intervene in the fabric of the hill, creating an attractive center with links to the sea.



Thus, the first terraces of Coquimbo were born, the connections from a flat area to another of height were generated and the first brushstrokes of a homogeneous architecture and a balanced relationship with nature and the landscape emerged.



The immigrant community itself is introducing its style and design in this port architecture that contributes to consolidate this expansion that develops in parallel with social and commercial life.



The Current English Quarter



The pastel colors of the walls and balconies that overlook the port of Coquimbo in the English Quarter are part of the remodeling that this sector underwent for so many years abandoned. In order to preserve the cultural heritage of the commune, the municipality defined a sector as a Historic Conservation Zone, which recognizes a time, a mode, a common language, a sector linked to the port and whose influence is notorious in port architecture from the city.



For this, he created a project that has coordinated and executed an immediate action plan in order to recover and strengthen the sector in the architectural and cultural tourism field, defining the sector as a unique and recognizable space in the city, highlighting its urban and cultural configuration. spatial elements typical of the neighborhood, those that give character and identity.









Freire Street, Coquimbo.

Coquimbo is 12 km away. south of La Serena and 462 km. north of Santiago. It can be reached:



By plane

You must travel to La Florida de La Serena airport and then take locomotion to Coquimbo. Alternatives include taxis and public transportation.



By car

From the north or south you must travel along Route 5 in the direction of Coquimbo or La Serena. From Copiapó it is 344 km. and from Iquique 1,397 km. To the south, from Santiago there are 462 km. and from Los Vilos 231 km.



By bus

There are continuous frequencies from La Serena and neighboring resorts to Coquimbo. From Santiago there are departures every day. Check with the respective terminal.



Boat

Access by boat is limited to international cruise ships that arrive at the port of Coquimbo.





Art, music and theater are constant exponents in this sector of the city. Both in the streets and inside the House of Arts and the House of Culture

The English Quarter is waiting to be discovered, a mixture of styles that captivates the senses



About fifty pubs, restaurants and discos opened their doors to the community and tourists visiting the area in 2004, becoming an attractive alternative in the region for recreation. From the old oak trees that kept the best reds for the palate to antique furniture that adorns a special corner of the house. Fine chocolate, cakes, coffee and cigars, travel agencies and boat trips or sport fishing will be the many offers of a renewed sector.

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