One of the city’s main tourist attractions is the Museum of the Huasco, Vallenar. The museum consists of information on the mineralogy, paleontology, botany, zoology and history of Huasco. The Museum of the Huasco, Vallenar very well showcases a miniature of the city of Vallenar. It represents the beautiful beaches by the coast, the other areas of the interior are been represented well marking the sharp contrast between the usual aridness of the zone together with the lush greenery of the Huasca valley. Therefore visiting the museum the travelers will have an idea about the major tourist attractions in Vallenar. This outline will surely be of immense help during the Vallenar travel.
The city of Vallenar is located in the Atacama region in Chile. The population of the city comprises about 47,000 inhabitants. The main occupation is farming and mining. The city was founded by Ambrose O'Higgins in 1789 as San Ambrosio de Ballenary. It was his birthplace in Ballynary in Co. Sligo in Ireland. The actual location of Vallenar is about 145 kilometers to the south of Copiapo, which is again approximately 668 kilometers to the city of Santiago of Chile. The Huasco valley is the zone where the agricultural plantations predominate, therefore due to its location in the valley, Vallenar is also very much developed agriculturally.
The Museum of the Huasco, Vallenar is located at Nº 742 calle Sargento Aldea. The museum contains archeological and mineralogical exhibits, together with historical photographs of the zone. The most important pieces of display consist of a snare dating from Colonial times. It was originally found in the river El Carmen. The museum also boasts of a collection of articles from the Incan culture. There are photographs of flowers found in the Huasco and a display of crustaceans and mollusks from the Huasco coastal area. Therefore it can very well said that without visiting the Museum of the Huasco, sightseeing in Vallenar willbe rather incomplete.
Opposite the Museum of the Huasco, Vallenar you will find the northernmost "palma chilena" (Chilean palm) growing. This is one of the indeginous flora specimen of the country.The Plaza Ambrosio O’Higgins is also located in the proximity to the Museum. This is another wonderful attribute to the Vallenar tour. The place is adorned with interesting benches and paving stones made from the red marble characteristic of the zone. The plaza was built after the earthquake of 1922.
The museum remains open from Tuesday to Friday, from 15:00 to 18:00 hours. Entry is free .So don’t forget to pay a sojourn to the beautiful Museum of the Huasco, Vallenar.
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