The jagged crust of the Salar de Atacama looks for all the world like God went crazy with a stippling brush. But in the midst of these rough lifeless crystals is an oasis of activity: the pungent Laguna Chaxa, about 25km southwest of Toconao and 65km from San Pedro, the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos’s most easily accessible flamingo breeding site.
Three of the five known species (James, Chilean and Andean) can be spotted at this salt lake, as well as plovers, coots and ducks: bring zoom lenses and snappy reflexes. Sunrise is feeding time for the birds and is the best time to see them. It’s also gorgeous at sunset.
