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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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  • 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.

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    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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    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

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    Finn Clennett - Travel Expert

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

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