Atacama Salt Flat. A magic place. Tours in San Pedro de Atacama

The Second Region of Chile is home to the largest salt flat in the country: the Atacama Salt Flat.

In the middle of a fantastic natural landscape, the salt flat shelters important archaeological records and impressive geology.

Near the commune of Toconao, located 56 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, lies one part of the Los Flamencos Natural Reserve, the main natural reserve of the II Region on the Andean flank. The area known as Soncor is home to the Atacama Salt Flat, a true reservoir of birds and one of the most beautiful spots in the whole area to see how the sun sets behind the western mountains.

This saline deposit is one of the main tourist attractions of San Pedro de Atacama. Its obvious beauty and enviable geography make this place a magical place. Covered with a brackish white, the Salar de Atacama allows the contemplation of lagoons on the surface, which break the mystical silence of the desert.

The Salar de Atacama, which occupies an extension of 100 kilometers long and 80 kilometers wide, is the result of the upwelling of subterranean waters that, saturated with salts, evaporate leaving crusts rich in salt and minerals.

The fauna of the region includes large numbers of flamingos in the Los Flamencos National Reserve, located to the north and west of the lake, as well as other birds, such as guayatas, rheas, and ducks. Additionally, some mammals inhabit the area, such as guanacos and vicuñas, coexisting with their domestic descendants: llamas and alpacas.

Undoubtedly, the Atacama Desert is a mythical territory where legends, ancestral Kunza traditions, and mining stories intersect. Famous for being the driest arid zone in the world, one would tend to believe that life in its geography is limited to a solitary cactus or a lost bird. Big mistake. The Atacama Desert contemplates the most varied species of animals and vegetation, making it a unique place in the world.

salar-de-atacamachile

One of the wonders of the Salar de Atacama are the sunsets. During this time of day, the extraordinary colors of the salt deposits in the altiplano are highlighted, which shine in the transparency of the air against an abrupt horizon and a saline landscape. If you are traveling in the extreme north of Chile, be sure to take a sunset tour. Some recommended options are to visit the Valley of the Moon where the dunes resemble a lunar landscape with shadows that seem otherworldly and the sunlight sets reflecting in pink tones on the Andean volcanoes and the salt flat itself, as seen in this photo.