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

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    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    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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    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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    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

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