Often bypassed for better known areas of the country, the picturesque Elqui Valley is home to a number of handsome colonial towns, including La Serena and pretty Pisco Elqui. The rolling valleys are phenomenally beautiful, with views overlooking the patchwork fields and countryside that extend far into the distance. Time seems to have taken a considerable pause in the valley, reflected in the quaint villages and traditional houses. Visitors can tour the historic distilleries of the region which produce the prized pisco, an alcoholic drink that Peru and Chile both claim as their own and the key ingredient to the legendary pisco sour cocktail.