A day of Lagunas

Exploring the south of Bolivia, flamingos, vicunas and the most beautiful lakes

Fernanda and I went on a 3-day tour to the salt flats in Uyuni. I already talked about the first day and the Salar, where something very important happened. The tour was not only about this magical place but also the surrounding areas, including the Eduardo Avaroa National Park. The second day was intense, we visited several places, including volcanos, lagoons, and a desert, where we saw many animals.

We spent the first night in a salt house, it was one of the coldest nights of my life. After breakfast, we started our way to the Eduardo Avaroa National Park in the south of Bolivia near the border with Chile. Our first stop was at a railway in the middle of the desert. The railways, in Bolivia, were built to transport minerals like silver, tin, and copper from the rich mines in the Andes to ports on the Pacific coast for export.

From there we continued with an incredible landscape, characterized by the rugged beauty of the high-altitude desert, with salt flats, dry riverbeds, and sharp mountain peaks dotting the horizon.

We reached the Mirador del Volcán Ollagüe, a popular viewpoint in the Andes that offers a stunning perspective of the Ollagüe volcano. This active stratovolcano rises to approximately 5,868 meters (19,252 feet), and it is part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, which hosts many active and dormant volcanoes.

Volcán Ollagüe is still considered an active volcano, with fumaroles (steam vents) visible near its summit. Although there hasn't been a significant eruption in recent history, the constant fumarolic activity is a sign of the ongoing geothermal processes at work.

From this viewpoint, we didn’t only appreciate the location and the landscape but also at the refuge, it was possible to take a break, drink something, buy some food and also taste a delicious llama sausage sandwich.

From there we drove in the direction of a series of high-altitude saltwater lagoons, the Lagunas Cañapa, Hedionda, and Honda. These stunning natural landmarks are part of the Andean Altiplano, a high plateau characterized by vast deserts, salt flats, and volcanic landscapes. Each lagoon is unique in its appearance, ecology, and wildlife it supports.

The first one was the Laguna Cañapa, which sits at an altitude of around 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). It is one of the most picturesque lagoons in the region, with a deep blue-green colour that contrasts with the surrounding arid desert landscape. The water of the lagoon is highly saline, and its edges are often covered with white salt deposits. The lagoon is a prime location for observing Andean flamingos, which feed on the algae and plankton that thrive in its waters. The mountains in the background, often dusted with snow, add to the beauty of this pristine setting.

The second lagoon we visited was Laguna Hedionda, famous for its sulfurous smell, which gives it its name, hedionda translates to "stinking" in Spanish. This lagoon is rich in sulfur content, giving the water a distinctive, briny scent. Despite the odour, it is a crucial habitat for thousands of flamingos. The high salt content of the water creates unique ecosystems where brine shrimp and microorganisms flourish, providing food for the flamingos. The bright colours of the birds, the saline edges, and the volcanic backdrop create an otherworldly visual experience.

We stopped here for lunch, we were eating with the view of the lagoon and all the flamingos and it was incredible. Here and in Laguna Cañapa I was surprised by the presence and the crazy amount of flamingos, I didn’t know that they could live at this altitude.

After lunch, we went to Laguna Honda, which lies at an altitude of 4,114 meters (13,497 feet) and is distinguished by its milky blue waters, which reflect the sky and surrounding volcanic peaks. This lagoon is smaller than some of its neighbouring counterparts but is no less striking. It is also highly saline, with shallow waters that often attract birds, including flamingos, as well as other wildlife such as vicuñas and Andean foxes. The lagoon’s still waters, surrounded by bare mountains, provide a tranquil atmosphere and a sense of isolation that enhances the feeling of being in one of the most remote places on Earth.

All the lagoons are home to a remarkable array of wildlife despite the extreme conditions of the Altiplano. Flamingos are the most prominent species, feeding on the microscopic organisms that thrive in the salty waters. These lagoons also support other bird species like Andean geese and crested ducks, along with land animals such as vicuñas, which graze on the sparse vegetation around the water's edge.

The striking colours of these lagoons, ranging from vivid blues and greens to pale pastels, are largely due to the presence of minerals like sulfur, sodium, and borax, which are abundant in the region. These minerals, combined with the lagoons' saline nature and volcanic activity in the region, contribute to the distinct characteristics of each body of water.

These lagoons and all the animals we saw were incredible, but the day was still long. We had still to explore the Siloli Desert, with the Arbol de Piedra (Stone Tree), and the Laguna Colorada, but I don’t want to make this post too long, so for reading about these places and seeing the pictures you have to wait for the next one. Please consider subscribing to the newsletter, upgrading to paid, buying me a coffee to support this project and help me write more content, or simply sharing this with friends.

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Flavio