05 March San Pedro de Atacama

After breakfast, we start our tour to various lagoons. Our first stop is at the Laguna Chaxa, a salt lake inhabited by countless flamingos, Andean flamingo, James's flamingo, and Chilean flamingo. The flamingos feed on insects, mollusks, and algae from the muddy ground, which is enriched with minerals and determines the pink color of their feathers.

The Tropic of Capricorn is the perfect place for a snack. Here, the tropical and subtropical zones divide on the southern hemisphere.

Our next destination is the Piedras Rojas in Salar de Tara - Aguas Calientes. Regularly, water flows into this basin from the Andes mountains, but since there is no drainage, the water evaporates and the salt remains, just like at Laguna Chaxa. As the water partially comes from active volcanoes, it is warm, hence the name Aguas Calientes. The erosion caused by the water and the oxidation of the iron give the rocks here a tone and a shape that is true to the name Piedras Rojas.

After a delicious lunch, we head up to 4200 meters to the Miscanti and Miniques lagoons, surrounded by various volcanoes that supply the two lagoons with water. So, no salt lagoons here. Here we find flamingos again. The blue water framed by the mountains, simply beautiful.