Tongoy Vacations, Tongoy Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Tongoy Vacation Guide

Tongoy is a very small coastal town in the IV Region of Coquimbo that is 42 kilometers south of La Serena. For the most part, it is home to fishermen during the majority of the year, however, during the summer months hundreds upon hundreds of Chileans flock to Tongoy and its neighboring town of Guanaqueros to escape the hustle and bustle of Chile's larger cities.

Tongoy enjoys a nice, warm climate throughout the majority of the year, but winters can be very cold and foggy and the town in itself is very empty and quiet with the exception of its few year-round residents. The landscape is somewhat desertic and there are many hills and dirt roads. There is a well-known resort area in Tongoy, where many Chileans own summer homes, called Puerto Velero. Tongoy and Puerto Velero share access to a very long, crescent-shaped white sand beach called Playa Socos. This beach is very popular during the summer months and has several straw-roofed kiosks where you can buy everything from cigarettes, beer and icecream to lawn chairs and "paleta" sets (a popular game to play on the beach). There is also a flea market next to the beach where you can buy traditional snacks, jewelry and regional art and crafts.

On the other side of Tongoy's peninsula is an impressively long dark-sand beach, appropriately named Playa Grande. This is where the fishermen are, as well as several wonderful seafood restaurants and empanada stands.