La Serena is the second oldest city in Chile. The city, located 471 km north of Santiago, has a population of 147,815, according to the 2002 census. There are also 12.333 inhabitants of the immediately surrounding countryside. It is one of the fastest-growing areas of Chile, witnessing a population increase of 32.6% between 1992 and 2002.

It was first founded by Spaniard Captain Juan Bohón in September 4, 1544 on the orders of Pedro de Valdivia. The town has retained its historic architecture and this, along with a selection of beaches (known as Avenida del Mar), has caused the city to become a significant tourist centre, attracting many foreigners (most of them Argentines from San Juan and Mendoza provinces) during January, and later Santiago residents fleeing February heat.

Its traditional architecture consists of a series of housing and public buildings, of late XIX century vintage, built with wood from the US state of Oregon. There is also a number of remarkable and valuable small churches built of sedimentary stone quarried 5 km to the north of the Elqui River, having a characteristic color and texture formed by myriad small shells. These churches are all roughly 350 years old, San Francisco, San Agustín, Santo Domingo are the names of a few of them. With the Cathedral, built from the same stone, in 19th century, all of these churches, provide a unique urban landscape, an image for the city, giving it the nickname "The City of Churches."