Description: 

The Lagunas Escondidas de Baltinache contain seven lagunas that are linked underground.  Their salt water content is similar to the Dead Sea, and about 7 times more than ocean water.  The high salinity lowers the water’s specific gravity, allowing a person to easily float.  There are restroom facilities here but no showers.  It is recommended to bring extra water to rinse off with after swimming in the lagunas.

How to Get Here:

Head west out of San Pedro de Atacama for 8.5 miles until you reach road B-241.  Follow this road south for 28 miles until you reach the ranger station.  B-241 is a very rough dirt road where flat tires are a distinct possibility – be prepared.

Description:

This site contains two unique environments.  First, just outside of the ticket booth, are Los Ojos del Salar.  These two round ponds contain (relatively) fresh water, a rarity on the salt flats!  The water is much deeper than the water in the salt lagoons.  The deep, still water gives a beautiful blue reflection of the sky; this combined with their round shape earned them their nickname, the Eyes of the Salt Flat.  At one time, this was a popular swimming place, but that is no longer allowed in order to preserve the ecosystem.

The second area you can visit here is the Laguna Tebenquiche.  This lagoon covers an area of 5 square miles.  In the winter, the water covers most of this area, but in the summer the water evaporates.  What remains is a thick white crust that looks like snow.  Very little can survive in this harsh environment, but one life form has found a way: halophilic microorganisms.  These microscopic creatures are thought to be some of the first life on earth, billions of years ago.

How to Get Here:

Take Route CH-23 south out of San Pedro de Atacama about 10 miles.  There is a right hand turn to a dirt road, with a sign for Laguna Tebenquiche.  The dirt road starts off in very good condition.  About five miles down the road there is a left hand turn.  After this the road is more bumpy but still manageable with an SUV.  In 1.5 miles there is a fork in the road, take the left hand fork and continue south.  The entry gate is about 7 miles further at the end of the road.

Description:

Laguna Chaxa is known for its large population of flamingos.  There is an interpretive loop trail about 0.25 miles long that takes you through the salt flat.  There are signs about the ecology and geology of the region.  The trail leads to an open area in front of the lagoon where you can view the flamingos.  There is also a shorter trail leading straight to the flamingos, if you prefer.  Plan to spend between 1-2 hours walking the trail and taking photographs.

How to Get Here:

Take Route CH-23 southeast through the town of Toconao.  There is a right hand turn about 2 miles past Toconao to a well-maintained dirt road.  Laguna Chaxa is 13 miles away at the end of the dirt road.

Description:

Laguna Barros Negros is about 1 mile south of Laguna Chaxa.  While it is quite close by, the microorganisms there vary substantially, resulting in colored strata of salt deposits.  Usually, a yellow/orange layer on top, a green layer in the middle, and sometimes a purple layer on the bottom.

How to Get Here:

Take Route CH-23 southeast through the town of Toconao.  There is a right hand turn about 2 miles past Toconao to a well-maintained dirt road.  The entry to Laguna Chaxa is 13 miles away at the end of the dirt road.  You will need to walk the remaining mile to Laguna Barros Negros.  Additionally there are off-road tracks that lead to the southern end of Laguna Barros Negros.

Description:

Laguna Puilar is about 1 mile northeast of Laguna Chaxa.  Here you can see the famous Andean flamingos and observe the unique environment created by the microbial activity on the salt flat.  Many scientific studies have been held here to help us understand what primordial life may have been like.

How to Get Here:

Take Route CH-23 southeast through the town of Toconao.  There is a right hand turn about 2 miles past Toconao to a well-maintained dirt road.  The entry to Laguna Chaxa is 13 miles away at the end of the dirt road.  You will need to walk the remaining mile to Laguna Puilar.

Description:

Lagunas Interna, Salada, and Saladita are three inter-connected lagunas of the Salar de Atacama.  They are smaller, each being less than 50 acres. Despite sharing a water source below ground, they have different microbes, resulting in different colorations of their salt crystals.  Flamingos have been known to nest in these areas. 

How to Get Here:

From San Pedro de Atacama, follow Route 23-CH for 44 miles.  Shortly after you pass the Tropic of Capricorn, you will turn right onto Route B-379, followed by a left onto B-39.  After 14 miles, you will reach the final turn, a right onto a rough dirt road.  You will need a 4×4 off-road vehicle, good driving skills, and a reliable sense of direction. It is possible to drive yourself but it is recommended to book a guide in San Pedro de Atacama.

Description:

Laguna Tuyajto is a beautiful turquoise altiplanic salt lake located between the mountains of Tuyajto to the north, Incahuasi to the southeast, and Medano to the southwest.  The lake is at an altitude of 13,160 feet.  It is a medium-sized lake, between ⅔ and 1 square mile, but only two feet deep.  During the winter it partially freezes over.  

How to Get Here:

Take Route CH-23 south out of San Pedro de Atacama about 100 miles.  You will pass through the town of Socaire and the Piedras Rojas site.  The Laguna Tuyajto viewpoint is a parking lot on the side of the road.  

Description:  

The Laguna Salar de Aguas Calientes Sur is a beautiful laguna set within a salt flat at 13,750 feet.  Spread out in front of the laguna on the northwestern end is a huge expanse of flat reddish stones.  These rocks get their color from the oxidation of the iron found in them, and the color in turn is what gives the site its name: Piedras Rojas, or Red Rocks.

This site has been developed with a parking lot, restrooms, and a loop trail that winds over the rocks and down to the laguna’s edge.  The path is well-marked and visitors are not allowed to stray from it.  The loop is only about 1½ miles long, but the fierce winds and high altitude means the path usually takes about an hour to walk.  The terrain is mostly flat and not technically challenging.  

How to Get Here:

Head south on Route 23-CH for 54 miles, about 1½ hours driving time.  You will arrive at the town of Socaire.  Here you must stop at the Recepción de Turistas to get a ticket that you will present at the station at Piedras Rojas.  The building is a brown cargo container near the entrance of Socaire.  You will need to have the reservation number or QR code downloaded.

From the Recepción de Turistas in Socaire, continue south for another 38 miles on Route 23-CH.  You should see a sign indicating Piedras Rojas and the Salar de Agua Calientes.  Pull into the parking lot and bring the ticket you received in Socaire to the brick ranger station at the trailhead.

Technically your ticket gives you a check in time, but the rangers don’t seem to be worried about this as long as you stopped in Socaire properly.  They may tease you about being late but just tell them you stopped to take pictures!

Description:

Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques are two altiplanic lakes fed by runoff from the Miñiques volcano and Cerro Miscanti.  The lagunas are separated by a lava flow from the Pleistocene era.  Laguna Miscanti covers an area of over five square miles, one of the biggest bodies of water in the Atacama Altiplano region.  Laguna Miñiques is smaller, at just over ½ square miles.  These lagunas are important areas for wildlife.  Vicuñas are commonly seen here, as are birds such as flamingos, Andean seagull, and horned coots are also found here.  

How to Get Here:

Head south on Route 23-CH for 54 miles, about 1½ hours driving time.  You will arrive at the town of Socaire.  Here you must stop at the Recepción de Turistas to get a ticket that you will present at the station at Piedras Rojas.  The building is a brown cargo container near the entrance of Socaire.  You will need to have the reservation number or QR code downloaded.

From the Recepción de Turistas in Socaire, continue south for another 13 miles on Route 23-CH.  You should see a sign indicating a dirt road leading to Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques.  Take this road southeast four miles to the ranger station.  Fair warning, it is a very bumpy dirt road with several switchbacks heading up into the mountains.  At the ranger station, someone will come out to check your ticket, and then direct you on to the lagunas.

Technically your ticket gives you a check in time, but the rangers don’t seem to be worried about this as long as you stopped in Socaire properly.  They may tease you about being late but just tell them you stopped to take pictures!

If you combine this with a tour visiting Piedras Rojas first, you will be returning north on Route 23-CH.  The turn off for the dirt road to Lagunas Miscanti and Miñiques is 26 miles from Piedras Rojas.

Description:

The Salar de Tara is a 18 square mile salt flat located at 14,000 feet.  On one side of the salar are enormous ash outcroppings that were once part of a large volcanic caldera, nicknamed the Cathedral of Tara.  The Salar de Tara provides a habitat for many rare species, including Darwin’s rhea, the Andean fox, and all three species of flamingos found in Chile.

How to Get Here:

From San Pedro de Atacama, head east on Route 27-CH for 63 miles.  Turn left onto an unmarked dirt road.  The road is basically a track left by others, so you will need a 4×4 off-road vehicle, good driving skills, and a reliable sense of direction. It is possible to drive yourself but it is recommended to book with an independent tour company in San Pedro de Atacama.

Description:

The Puritama Hot Springs is a spa resort operated by Explora. The hot springs contain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and boron, that revitalize the body and the mind.  Explora manages the area for tourism while conserving the ecosystem of the enclosing canyon.  They have constructed a series of boardwalks to reach the pools.  There are also changing rooms and restrooms centrally located.

How to Get Here:

From San Pedro de Atacama, head north on Route B-245 for 18 miles.  You will see a sign and a ticket booth on the left side of the road.