Solar Madariaga Hotel

We stayed two nights at this bed and breakfast. It felt very homey, and relaxing. The place is well maintained and beautiful. The breakfast provided was excellent. The owners go the extra mile to ensure that guests' needs are met and attended to. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Vicuña is a picturesque town located 40 miles west of La Serena in the Elqui Valley. The amazing blue sky, dry air, and surrounding mountains provide a uniquely peaceful, restful, and unforgettable experience. From Vicuña one can drive along the Elqui valley visiting dozens of quaint towns. We definitely want to go back for a longer stay.

This inn is absolutely fantastic. The home was built at the beginning of the 1800's by one of the families that helped to develop Vicuna and La Serena. It is a traditional Spanish Colonial with an incredible garden. The room (#2) was quite large and the bed was very comfortable. The bathroom is en-suite, and there is a heater in the room. We did not have any trouble with water pressure or having hot water. Room was very clean and fresh, fluffy, towels were provided. If you have Dollars, Euro, or Pounds, the owner will take these and not charge the 19% Chilean Value Added Tax. It saved us a bit of money. You will have to provide a passport and immigration form for them to photocopy. The property has been immaculately restored to the original condition, despite some earthquake damage. It is still owned and maintained by the family that built it. The owner (wife Mitzi) speaks excellent English and has a lot of information about the surrounding area. Her daughters and nieces also speak excellent English and are fantastic to talk to. The front of the house doubles as a museum, but does not have tons of foot traffic due to some ongoing repairs. We did not have any trouble with road noise. Breakfast is substantial and seasonal. We had lovely fresh fruit with bread, cheese, and avocado from their garden.

Amazing hotel in the heart of Vicuña! Very clean and comfortable room, facilities, and common spaces. Excellent, very friendly staff, especially Fernanda at the reception. If you stay here, do not miss the hot tub and Fabio's amazing massage to fully relax. We loved our time here! Our little kids had a blast as well. Definitely, we would go back!

Resounding recommendation. We spent two days in Vicuña exploring the Elqui Valley. Solar was a great starting point for many reasons. Built in the 1800's, it is a typical courtyard centered house, but well maintained and with 2 very inviting garden environments. The hostess, Mitzi, is charming and welcoming, quick to provide help in many areas (including making a special herbal infusion for my husband who was sick!) with ideas of where to visit and information on the area. Her husband was delightful and very educational as he walked me through the family museum. Fascinating. The bed is very comfortable and plenty of blankets for cool winter evenings, and wonderful top quality bath sheets!! Nice hot water shower and well presented and fulfilling breakfast. No TV- but who needs it when you leave early and get back late? WIFI is very good, and heater if needed. Wish we could have stayed longer!!

My friends and I stayed here during the Great South American Eclipse of 2019. The hotel is conveniently located close to the town plaza and the many shops and restaurants. My room was very large with an abundant supply of pillows and blankets as well as an electric heater as it was winter in Chile. WiFi was not available in my room but was available in my friend’s room as well as the common area a few steps away. A delicious breakfast was served daily. Diego and his Mom, Mitzi, ensured that we were well taken care of. We would definitely stay here again.

Solar de los Madariaga was one of the best and most intriguing places at which I’ve ever stayed (and that’s saying a lot since I have traveled to and through dozens of countries)! Not only were the amenities beautiful and comfortable, but I was also pleasantly surprised by the generous level of hospitality offered. “We’ve been waiting for you,” said the welcoming staff upon my arrival, and it was clear that they truly had. From the finely-sliced fruit at breakfast, to the personal tour of the eponymous museum, to the coordination of my activities there and beyond - all of the words and actions of the staff demonstrated a fine balance between personal care and professionalism. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my time at Solar de los Madariaga was absorbing the fascinating history of the Madariaga family - and their socio-historical context - through a highly entertaining and educational tour offered by Diego, one of the family members (Thanks so much, Diego!!). Furthermore, for those who are fans of Gabriela Mistral, as am I, Solar de los Madariaga is the perfect location both in terms of proximity to the Gabriela Mistral museum (a block away!) as well as the on-site library replete with related books of interest. In addition, as this is family-owned-and-operated legacy, a healthy sense of pride punctuates the warm and relaxing environment guests enjoy. In sum, please stay here, because you will certainly be glad you did!

I was genuinely sad to leave Solar Madariaga today, after a wonderful week-long stay. My husband and I are in the midst of a North American summer vacation trip to Chile, and we knew we wanted to spend time in Valle de Elqui. We originally reserved our room for 5 nights and quickly realized we needed longer in this amazing valley and extended our stay. The hotel is FAMILY OWNED and COMMUNITY MINDED. They care about their guests, their community, and their environment. No matter the request, everyone here went above and beyond to ensure we had what we needed-from transportation from La Serena (thank you Rubén!) to clean laundry; from a personal tour of the valley to the best bicycle tours; and everything in between. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious; meals (at Alóe Restorán) worth every penny. You MUST order the empanadas. Wow!! We like to hike, and the advice we got on hikes was spot-on. We enjoyed every one. Fernanda, Jonathan, Juan and Diego (owner) were just the best. We really can't say enough to describe how wonderful our stay was. As I said to start, I was genuinely sad to leave and continue our Chilean adventure elsewhere! I am an anxious traveler and here I felt safe. In Vicuña, at Solar Madariaga, with their advice. We miss everyone already! If we are to ever return to the Elqui Valley, we would definitely come back to Solar Madariaga. This should be your first choice when coming to Valle de Elqui. THANK YOU SOLAR MADARIAGA!!

I was genuinely sad to leave Solar Madariaga today, after a wonderful week-long stay. My husband and I are in the midst of a North American summer vacation trip to Chile, and we knew we wanted to spent quality time in Valle de Elqui. We originally reserved our room for 5 nights and quickly realized we needed longer in this amazing valley and extended our stay. No matter the request, everyone here went above and beyond to ensure we had what we needed—from transportation from La Serena (thank you Rubén!) to clean laundry to the best bicycle tours, and everything in between. Breakfast was plentiful and delicious; meals (at Alóe Restorán) worth every penny. You MUST order the empanadas. Wow!! Advice on hikes was spot-on and we enjoyed every one. Fernanda, Jonathan, Juan and Diego (owner) were just the best. We really can’t say enough to describe how wonderful our stay was. As I said to start, I was genuinely sad to leave as continue our Chilean adventure elsewhere! We miss everyone already! We would come back to Chile just to return to Solar Madariaga and the Elqui Valley. This should be your first choice when coming to Valle de Elqui. THANK YOU SOLAR MADARIAGA!!

Everything was perfect from the beginning, the place has a lot of beautiful details, decoration, cleaning, and relaxing areas. The staff is very kind and always ask for your comfort. The restaurant Aloha is a great gourmet experience, with tradicional dishes but always some disruptive flavors will blow your mind.