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KenMc97201
I actually enjoyed the road from Routa 5 to Punta Choros--it is not nearly as bad or as rough as other reviewers suggest (our little rental car, and plenty of others, had no problems--you do not need a 4x4), and stretches of the road are much faster than Routa 5 with all its construction. Plus, I found the scenery quite beautiful. Expect a drive of about two hours each way from La Serena to Punta Choros.It is not at all difficult to rent a boat from the dock to Isla Damas, although having someone with you who speaks Spanish is recommended. It is all very well organized and surprisingly efficient. Do arrive by 11am (9am is probably better) to beat most of the crowds (at least in the summer), and to get calmer seas. Our tour was from about 10am to 1pm and no one in our boat got wet. You will most definitely see penguins and seals and lots of sea birds, but there is no guarantee you will see dolphins or whales (we saw two whales, but no dolphins). The island itself is small but beautiful. You get about 45 minutes on the island, which is plenty of time to walk up the little hill for a great view. Not much wildlife on the part of the island where you are dropped off, but there are plenty of animals to see along the isolated rocky ledges and even smaller rock outcroppings. You should get done around lunch time, and there are plenty of food carts near the docks where you can buy a nice empanada or other food and drinks. We packed some food, and parked just a km or so down the road on a quiet stretch of beach to enjoy a nice lunch in the summer sun. This is a memorable place, and is a great half-day trip from La Serena, at least in the summer (December - February). Going at other times of the year may result in a different experience (rougher seas and colder weather, fewer boats and food options, but maybe more sea life), so consider the season when making this your destination.
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327charlieb
I love penguins, and I saw them on a boat trip (lasts about an hour for 10,000CHP) from Punta Choros, but from a bit of a distance. Worth bringing warm clothes. We didn't go on to any of the islands. We also saw lots of interesting sea birds and dolphins, and even fin whales. I felt sorry for the whales and dolphins though, with several boats chasing around to get close to them, which is probably against regulations, and certainly against advice from groups such as Sea Shepherd.Punta Choros is where the boat trips go from. It is a fairly simple and sliightly sorry-looking outpost, though the coast itself is clean and pretty. There are various food stalls selling seafood empanadas. We did it as a day-trip from La Serena. The bus left from outside a bakery at about 11am. It was packed, so best to get there a little early. The journey was quite long (over two and a half hours each way) through desert landscape and the last half an hour or so was on a pretty bumpy road, which made it a bit of a tiring trip. I would say Puñihuil in Chiloé is a much better trip.
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Larissa75
Cute boat ride with sights of penguins, sea lions, Dolphins and whales. This is definitely a must tour if you are in the area. Be prepared for some optional walking on the island and a possible wet bum as on all smaller boat rides.
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Fidels98
We enjoyed our visit to Isle Damas. We found the ride there very fascinating. After leaving the paved highway, we drove on a rough dirt road for at least an hour to reach Los Choros. This would explain why we could not map it out on Apple Maps. I would suggest if you make the drive on your own, that you take a 4X4. We went with a tour group. It was a little pricey, but included a very good lunch at an olive farm. We saw penguins, sea otters and dolphins that day. But unfortunately no whales. Our tour guide Hector was very informative and entertaining.
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ARCGlasgow
Trip to the penguin colony was great but the guide didn't bother much with the English speaking tourists. Luckily my own guide had been able to come with me. After the trip we had lunch in a great local restaurant run by the people who operated the boat - try the congrio!
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MauPaiva
An incredible place to visit, dont miss that out if you are nearby... I mean, near from what???Yes, believe or not this is far away.Considering La Serena as your base, you will spent around 1:30 ~ 2:00 hours to get there.We went by car and it was an amazing trip, beautiful view and when you notice you are just in the middle of nowhere, seems to be driving in a desert (vegetagion and the mountains combined very well)...... But, what about if you car crash?Note that cell phone signal is very unstable so, if you are driving to Punta Choros, take care of all details of your car.You will pass thru a small village and you will feel like being inside a movie.You will then arrive to a harbor where you have to buy a ticket to jump on the small boat. The tour lasts a few hours passing thru an island where you can see several different animals such as penguins, pelicans, birds of all kinds, sea lions and we saw even an sea elephant... they looked like rocks.After that you stop at Isla Damas and you can enjoy spend a few minutes on this small island... although water looks nice, it is really cold... dont risk to get you cold :)Some advices:1- Not always you will be able to see the whales or dolphins (there is a right season to visit the place if you want to check this out)2- If you want, you can camp on the 1st island the boat pass around (also, there is a right season)3- Wheather is cloudy most of the times, wind is cold (bring your coat) and I used sandals (dont make this mistake, you can take them into your bag but well, this is your choice)4- Dont waste your time going to the bathroom in Isla Damas, prepare yourself before leaving the harbour, time is a must on this tripEnjoy your trip!
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frogANDpepper
I am a backpacker, 37yrs old, 40+ countries visited, travelling with partner.Generally we don't like tours so we decided to do it by ourselves.FROM LA SERENA: We had a base in La Serena (Hostal El Observatorio recommended), there is a daily private and the only bus to Punto de Choros at 9am going every day from a bakery la panadería El Griegos. You pay 4.500 pesos one way, 9k return. We took the bus one way, the journey lasts about 1.5 hr so at 10.30am you are at the harbour.BOAT TOUR IN PUNTA DE CHOROS: After getting off the bus at the last stop at the harbour you will see a young lady chatting up tourists for a tour. She is a national park guide and her company charges 11.000 pp for about 2 hrs guided boat tour. We negotiated 10.000 pesos pp (which normally is impossible). The boat is waiting for other tourists from the tour agencies to join, including eco tour. Tour starts at about 11.10am. The experience was great, despite of cloudy and very cold weather and one part of the park completely closed we saw numerous types of birds, condors, pelicans, penguins, huge and impressive sea lions, many dolphins which we sailed with for more than 5 mins almost at the touch of your hand. All the time was on the boat as entering that part of the island is prohibited excluding scientists in order not to scare the birds and animals.The tour terminates at around 1pm. RETURN TO LA SERENA: OPTION 1:As the place attracts local tourists with private cars we travelled back to La Serena by hitchhiking. The tourists from Santiago are always happy to take gringos and we saved 9k pesos. OPTION 2: The other option is to take the return bus from Punto de Choros to La Serena at 3pm (you dont have to have return ticket, you can pay on the bus); it means you would have 2 hrs for yourself after the boat trip which you might spend walking around village (not much to do and see) or having lunch in one of the restaurants.STAYING IN PUNTA DE CHOROS: I think it would be nice to stay overnight in the village (if you like small, 'nothing to do' fishing villages) to chill out and observe fishermen in the morning but make sure the weather is nice.
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KenW156
This day long trip was one of the best of many things we did in the area! The scenic drive along the pacific coast through the desert and to the boating village was fabulous! That was just the lead up to the main course. The small boat trip to the islands took us so very close to the awesome rock cliffs where scores of various wild life in complete privacy. Sea birds, sea lions, seals, penguins are plentiful in their natural existence. Following near the boats were many large dolphins! The hour exploration of the nearby navigable island was a perfect spot to observe the open Pacific, the coastal mountains of the mainland and the beautiful water with spectacular wave active into the rock shores and protruding rocks. The 3 pm lunch at the olive grove oasis in the middle of now-where was delicious and a perfect way to get ready to settle back for the 2 hour trip back to LaSerena!
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NICKYPICASSO
Didn't knew Chile has also a this typical white bounty beach with turqoise ocean. Allthough it looks like the caribbean the water is pretty cold, but you should take at least one dive in it. You can book a complete tour were you visit the isla damas and the penguin reservat. During the boat tour you might see dolphins.
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stefan16105
The visit to both Islands was the highlight of our trip to Chile. Seeing the penguins and the other marine animals in their natural habitat was an unforgettable experience.
