Atacama salt flat, San Pedro de Atacama

The enormous salt flat is quite a sight especially in the sunset light ! It's the largest in Chile and it's actually a salt lake covered by a thick layer of hardened salt. There are guides sharing their knowledge with the tourists walking on a restricted path. If you look into the water in the pools you can see the microorganisms which are food for the fauna of the salt flat.
But the sweetest thing on this enormous brownish white, rough surface, is the elegant flamingos ..dancing in the shallow waters of the pools. They are moving their legs and beaks rhythmically trying to remove the sand and uncover their food, all at the same pace, participating in the same beautiful dance...!
More photos in the TRAVELOGUE.

The Salar de Atacama is the third largest of salt flats in the world. It is a different kind of salt pan from Salinas Grande in Argentina.

In Salinas Grande, the grounds were flat and white with rough crystals forming hexagon shapes all around.

In Salar de Atacama, the salt-pan ground was uneven, dried up and brown, all the crystals and mixture of minerals were huge, jagged, lumpy rocks. It was impossible to walk on them and a path had been flattened out for us to walk across the salar.

This area is also home to flamingoes. I had come to see them but a pity they were slurping up the acidic lake miles away, tiny little dots in the distance.

The tour begins with a visit to Toconao a small rustic town with native people, there is a nice little church to visit and some craft shops.
Then the trip continue to the Big Chaxa lake which is the biggest saline deposit of Chile which surface, white and rugose, secret to simple sight a great salt lake. The size is of 300.000 has and can be estimated in its entirety due to the fact that the air is completely dry. The view of the Salar is very amazing specially when the sunset come, the variety of colours is fantastic and there is a beautiful view of the Volcanos Licancabur and Lascar.
The tour takes 3-4 hours and is better during the afternoon ( to watch the sunset).
The cost is 17 dollars.

If you want to secure the best spot to see the sunset at Valle de la Luna, you must climb a huge dune. But get there early. Don't let the flocks of tourists prevent your from enjoying this breathtaking view.

The Atacama salt flat is one of the biggest salt lakes on Earth, about 150 kilometres long and over 50 wide, and since San Pedro is just 42 kilometres north from it, visiting from there comes naturally, although it is actually closer to Toconao.
The lanscape is, again, out-of-this-world: an endless white salt extension, which on approaching turns into a strange sea of solid salt waves, stopped in its breaking motion.
Those of us, who were fortunate to see the Salar before venturing into it was banned and restricted, had the chance of seeing the very heart of it, where the salt have hexagonal, “beehive” shapes at ground level: is there where the salt is “born”, but now that’s off-limits and you can usually get only to Laguna Chaxa, where the ranger’s office (this is the Los Flamencos Natural Reserve) and the guides are.
But there’s still a lot allowed to be seen: pink flamingos nest and look for the microorganisms they eat (namely Artemia salina) in the salt ponds, filtering the salt water with a membrane they have inside their beaks, while giant Andean ducks loiter around.
At sunset, flamingos flock to the center of the salar, sometimes flying overhead the people, making it a wonderful sight; the active Lascar volcano lies close to the east, adding to the striking panorama.
It usually gets windy and pretty cold in the afternoon, and one gets thirsty quite easily. Hygrometers at the center of the salar usually read “0”, but spring to life when a human approaches, marking 4 or 5 percent.
An interpretative trail is built along a short span of the early salt ponds, dotted with explanatory totems, and a guide usually accompanies tour groups, giving a lecture on the salar and their inhabitants...it may be educative, but sincerely, I preferred it the wild way.
There’s a shelter at the end of the road, where tickets are sold (US$ 2,50). There are toilets and parking, as well as information on the local wildlife.

A desert of salt !! View of flamingos... Don't forget your binocular !!! Wonderful sunset... 7500 pesos per person by an agency or rent a bike and take the bus from San Pedro to Toconao, and then ride until the desert. This option allows you to stay much longer and watch an unbelievable night sky (agencies take you back at 7.30 PM !). If you choose this option, don't forget to take warm clothes and water !

Un desert de sel ! Des vues sur des flamants... (n'oubliez pas vos jumelles). Superbe coucher de soleil. 7500 pesos par personne, quand on passe par une agence.
On peut egalement y aller seul en louant un velo et en prenant le bus jusqu'a Toconao, puis en pedalant vers le desert. Cette option permet de rester plus tard que 7.30 PM (heure a laquelle les agences vous ramenent a San Pedro) pour apprecier un ciel d'etoiles unique.
Si vous choisissez cette option, n'oubliez pas de prendre de l'eau et des vetements chauds !

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There is a small information centre and 20 min. long introduction video.