Small-Group Tour Altiplanic Lagoons Red Stones & Flamingo Reserve

After a morning pick-up at your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama, you will start your adventure into amazing and arid landscapes.

It enchants by its simplicity, the calmness of its people, its climate, the handicrafts and the architecture, where earthy and white colors abound. It is an ancient town built with volcanic rock and an oasis, its freshwater allows the growing of all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Next up, you will head to Los Flamencos National Reserve to visit the marginal zone of the Atacama Salt Flats. You will reach Chaxa Lagoon, located in the northern sector of the Atacama Salt Flat, where you will get to see flamingos in the wild and migratory birds. Observe the salt crusts on the surface of the Salar, generated by the evaporation of saline groundwater. You will have some free time for pictures.

It is located at 3,500 masl and is the main natural balcony of the Atacama Salt Flats. Socaire was formerly important for its gold mines and currently it is characterized by its typical cuisine. Here, you will have some minutes to admire its church (historical heritage).

Finally, the moment you were waiting for; you will arrive at Miscanti and Meñiques Altiplanic Lagoons. Be amazed by its intense blue waters fed by underground rivers and enjoy the surrounding landscape of volcanoes and mountains. The lagoons are located at 4,300 masl and surrounded by the Andes Mountain Range and the Meñiques Volcano. Keep your eyes wide open; here, you may see flamingos and other birds (species such as Tagua Cornuda, Parinas Chicas, the Caití, Baird's Sandpiper, Puna Plover, Pato Juarjual and the Guallata).

To further add to your experience, start a 1-hour hike along the foothills of the southern Andes, towards Talar Salt Flat, also known as Piedras Rojas, a place where the rocks are tinted by natural oxidation and weathering. A perfect spot for pictures!

At the end of the trip, you will be driven back to San Pedro de Atacama. Notes: Schedules and the order of the visited attractions are estimated and may change due to the guide's evaluation.