I visited Lagunas Miscanti and Miniques on my first trip to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile in 2006, and wanted to revisit them to rework some photos. Pierre and I are also heading out to Aguas Calientes and Laguna Tayuacto, which are further afield and less regulated.
At Laguna Miscanti, we encounter a convoy of Brazilian tourists in no less than 15 vehicles, and don’t linger. It is a very popular destination for tours and is easily accessible by vehicles, although I notice that there seems to be a new tourist/management office here that I don’t remember from my previous visit.
Laguna Tayuacto is a find – completely deserted, accessible down to the water line (which Miscanti and Miniques are not), and absolutely spectacular. Hardened white salt blankets the lake with blocks of salt. From a distance, it looks like snow with a scattering of ice blocks. Against the clear blue sky, the colours of the surrounding hills with their red cast are spectacular. We have plenty of time for a walk around the edge of the lake to see the salt formations up close.
Whilst it is easily accessible by cars, Laguna Tayuacto seems to be disregarded in favour of Lagunas Miscanti and Miniques. Gracias Pierre!
