Andacollo Pilgrim’s Route is the first trail to receive the Starlight certification in Latin America

The absence of light pollution and the quality of the dark skies made this ancient route of more than 270 km in the Coquimbo Region worthy of the Starlight Trail accreditation. This is the sixth site to obtain the Starlight seal in the country, and the first in Latin America in the trail category.

 

At the beginning of this year, national astrotourism received excellent news: the Andacollo Pilgrim Route obtained the 2024 Starlight Trail accreditation, due to the absence of light pollution and the quality of its dark skies. The trail located in the Coquimbo Region extends for more than 270 km crossing 20 localities and is the first place on the continent with this accreditation, joining the other five sites with the Starlight seal in Chile.

The Andacollo Pilgrim Route is an ancient trail, where ancient cultures such as the Molle, Ánimas, Diaguitas, and Incas walked to reach a mountain at 1,100 meters high, which according to history, was full of gold. This trail is also recognized for its religiosity and the veneration of its walkers to the Virgin of Andacollo, whose celebrations between October and December attract thousands of pilgrims to its temple.

Starlight Certification

The Starlight Foundation certifies various places in the world that present excellent sky quality and are also an example of protection and conservation of this heritage.

This is explained to the media La Voz de Galicia by the director of Starlight, Antonia M. Varela: “The objective is to raise awareness in society about the importance of taking care of the sky, not only for science but also for the environment, because over-illumination contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases, and for biodiversity, as 60% of species are nocturnal, dependent on the day and night cycle.”

The accredited places range from tourist destinations, cities, parks, viewpoints, and more. In the case of Starlight Trails, they recognize paths, greenways, or routes whose journey allows the observation of a high-quality starry sky.

Antonia explains that this seal allows a place to be recognized worldwide for the quality of its skies for tourist observation, thus facilitating the development of this activity in a way that respects the heritage. “Precisely the sky in rural environments, sometimes more economically impoverished, is the one with the best quality. These rural territories can find in the sky a powerful engine for local sustainable development through star tourism,” she assures.

In the world, there are more than 300 sites with Starlight accreditation spread across more than ten countries (see map). The Andacollo Pilgrim Route joins the five certified places in Chile: the Starlight reserve of Fray Jorge National Park; the Hand of the Desert in Antofagasta; the town of Pampa Joya; the Alto Loa community and the town of Pica.

Daniela González, executive director of the Cielos de Chile Foundation, added: “This sixth Starlight accreditation in Chile highlights the importance of our skies for both the scientific and cultural heritage of our country. It also reminds us that it is urgent to protect them from their greatest threat: light pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to continue advancing in this type of certification that combines the protection of dark skies and the productive promotion of the territories.”