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The church was inaugurated in 1909. In the current church It is possible to observe the paintings in the sky of its main nave with religious motifs, made by students of the School of Fine Arts in Santiago, using colored earth from the area. It has an image of the Virgen del Carmen, who accompanied the Chilean troops during the War of the Pacific, and donated by Bishop Florencio Fontecilla. It also keeps the baptismal font where the poet Gabriela Mistral received the first oil paintings. Occasionally, there is a display room for ancient images and religious items used in the Valley.
It provides tours in Spanish and English. Tours are in the evening and include star observation using big telescope, outside constellation description using laser pointer, taking pictures of the moon and short theoretical PowerPoint. Tours can be booked on the same day at the office: Gabriela Mistral 260. Instead of taking a minibus, you can also hike there and potentially see the night sky after dusk.
Check out this scenic dam between La Serena and Vicuña.
Climb the small mountain (the one with the antennas on) just north of town for a complete panorama of the surroundings. Mind the sun, and bring some water along.