Punta de Choros
Punta de Choros, Coquimbo Region, Chile
Punta de Choros is a small fishing village on Chile's Coquimbo coast, about two hours north of La Serena, and the launch point for boat trips into the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt. The village beach itself is flat sand at the end of a dirt road, but the real draw is the three islands offshore, home to penguins, sea lions, and dolphins.
Locals take real pride in Punta de Choros, tied to a well known 2010 campaign that got a power plant cancelled to protect the reserve, but the cove itself stays basic and undeveloped, with little infrastructure beyond the fishing boats.
How we score beachesBoats to Isla Damas leave from the cove whenever a group of fishermen has enough passengers, so arriving before 10am gives the best shot at a morning crossing before the afternoon wind picks up.
The village sits at the end of road D-110-C off Route 5, roughly a two hour drive from La Serena on a mix of paved and gravel road. Street parking in the village is informal and generally easy to find, and there's no fee for the mainland beach itself, only for booking a boat out to the reserve.
The village beach is flat sand reached directly from the dirt streets, no hike involved. The offshore islands are a different matter: boats land you on Isla Damas, where reaching the beach there means a signed nature trail on foot, not something a stroller or wheelchair could manage.
Dogs are welcome on a leash at some of the village campgrounds, but pets are banned entirely once you're inside the national reserve or on any of the boat tours to the islands.
The Humboldt Current keeps the water cold here year round, so this was never a swimming beach. September through May brings the mildest weather for the boat crossing, and December through March is when blue and humpback whales show up to feed on the upwelling further offshore.
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