Workshop venue      

The conference will be held in La Serena at the Salon Pentagono in the Campus Andres Bello of the University of La Serena.  

Distance from the Hotel Costa Real to the Campus Andres Bello:

Registration  

Registration will be on March 24, at the Hotel Costa Real, followed by a cocktail. It will contiue on Monday at the Campus Andres Bello, University of La Serena.

Social events

• March 24: Welcome cocktail at the Hotel Costa Real, from 18:00 - 20:00 hr.
• March 27: Conference dinner at the La Silla Observatory.  For our participants to see the La Silla facilities, we will leave La Serena from Hotel Costa Real, at 15:00 hr.  The dinner will start at 20:00 hr.
  

Weather in La Serena

March weather average for La Serena is usually 17°C (62°F), while at night 13°C (55°F) is normal. A high temperature may reach 20°C (68°F).

You can check the weather on AccuWeather.

Restaurants in La Serena

You can find here the restaurants guide in La Serena in its latest update (Dec. 2018), as maintained (and kindly provided) by Gemini Observatory.

For those who let us know, lunches will be offered for a reasonable price at the canteen of Universidad de La Serena. The canteen is 1-km away from the campus and a shuttle will be offered to those ones who prefer not to walk.

How to get Chilean money

• At the airport in Santiago: you will find ATMs at the first and third level, International Central Hall. They accept Mastercard, Visa, Visa Electron, Cirrus, Plus and Maestro.
  There is also an office of the Santander Santiago bank, located at the second level, International Central Hall. It opens from 09:00 - 14:00 hr.
  Finally, the exchange office AFEX is opened 24 hours a day, and is located at the first and third level, International Central Hall.
• There are many ATMs and banks in the La Serena downtown.
  
• Most internationally recognized currencies can be exchanged at commercial banks and foreign exchange agencies. Credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops. Banks are opened from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 14:00 hr.
  The exchange rate for Chilean Currency is approximately:
  • 1 USD = 670 Chilean pesos
  • 1 € (Euro) = 764 Chilean pesos

Other Useful Information

• Chile's standard time zone is UTC/GMT - 4 hours.
• Currency converter
• Do you need a Visa to enter Chile?  Check here!
• More information about La Serena:
  • Turismo La Serena
  • La Serena (web page from CTIO)
  • Lonely Planet
  • Trip Advisor
  • La Serena from Santiago Tourist
  • La Serena airport

How to get to Salon Pentagono