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See flamingos in the salt flats

Atacama desert

Visit a flamingo colony and colourful high-altitude lakes on a drive through the hallucinatory landscapes of the Atacama salt flats.

It’s a rewarding trip from San Pedro de Atacama out into the salt flats where flamingos lend a sprinkle of pink to an already colourful scene. On the way we’ll take you to Toconao (altitude 2,600m) and typical of the area’s small oasis villages with its whitewashed bell tower and adobe homes. Nearby, the verdant Jerez valley stands out in sharp contrast with the surrounding desert.

Arriving into the salar, an arresting backdrop of orange and purple-hued mountains surmounts the habitat of huge flocks of wild flamingos. On our full-day tour you will also visit the high-altitude lagoons of Minique and Miscanti (altitude 4,120m) with their vivid blue and turquoise waters.

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Real Latin american experts

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Finn Clennett
    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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