Atacama Salt Flat, Piedras Rojas, and Altiplanic Lagoons｜Chile

Discover the beauty of the Atacama Desert on a full-day excursion from San Pedro de Atacama. Visit the village of Toconao, the Chaxa Lagoon, the Andean village of Socaire, and the Piedras Rojas Salt Flat.

Start your day with pickup from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. Visit the village of Toconao, known for its simplicity, tranquility, special climate, beautiful architecture, and handicrafts.

Next, visit the Chaxa Lagoon, a marginal area of the Atacama Salt Flats located in the Soncor Sector, Los Flamencos National Reserve.

Head southeast (Andes Range) to camp in the Andean village of Socaire, where you'll visit its church and learn about its agriculture.

Once you're in the Andes, ascend to approximately 4,200 meters above sea level to visit the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, which is characterized by volcanoes and mountainous landscapes such as Mount Miscanti and the Miñiques volcano.
You'll find species such as the horned tagua, the small parinas, the caítí, Baird's sandpiper, the puna plover, the juarjual duck, and the guallata. The flora is composed mainly of llareta and paja brava. Both lagoons are formed by groundwater from melting glaciers.

Continue through the foothills of the Southern Andes, known as Piedras Rojas, a place where the rocks are subject to oxidation and natural erosion, which causes the colors to lose their intensity in the Andes.