Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons (Lagunas Miscanti y Miñiques, in Spanish) are two salt water lakes on the Altiplano Plateau in the Central Andes of Chile. The altitude of Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons is over 4000 meters above sea level. The location of Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons is southeast of San Pedro de Atacama, about an hour and half drive on route 23.
Departing from San Pedro de Atacama, the scenery changed gradually between the desert and the mountains. Views of the desert and mountains at the horizon were stunning.
As we got closer to the mountains, different vegetation, such as grasses and shrubs, started to show up along the way.
We stoped by a small town called Socaire for lunch. There was a small church in Socaire. The view of the mountains from Socaire was as impressive as we have seen along the way. There were also ancient agricultural terraces surrounding the town.
The restaurant where we had lunch was called “Restaurante Santa Barbra”. The food was simple and tasty. We had a grilled chicken, a pork stew, and a quino omelette. It was the first time that I tried a quino omelette. The texture of the quino omelette is crispy and chewy.
We were lucky to see a herd of vicunas (I guess, or were they guanacos?? It was hard to tell from a distance) on the way to the lagoons and another herd on the way back. We also met a couple of foxes on both ways.
The mountains snowed the day before our visit. As we approached the lagoons, we started to see more and more snow on the ground. The reserve was semi-closed because of the snow. We were allowed to drive following the driving path, but not walk.
The moment when I saw the Miscanti Lagoon, I was totally enchanted. What a beautiful deep blue lagoon! Miniques Lagoon is a smaller lagoon that was split from Miscanti Lagoon by volcanic lava flow. The lagoons and the surroundings, the clear blue sky, the white snow, the brown-red mountains, and the yellow grass, all together form an astonishing painting.
Apart from the desert view around San Pedro de Atacama, a trip to the Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons gives a different aspect of the region. When heading to the Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons, remember that the altitude of the lagoons is over 4000 meters, so dress warm and be mindful about the altitude sickness. Also, watch for wild animals, especially near the meadows on the mountains, like vicunas and foxes. Although we didn’t see any flamingos, Miscanti and Miñiques Lagoons are one of the flamingo national reserve sectors in the Atacama desert, so watch for the flamingos around the lagoons!
San Pedro de Atacama
Socaire
Miscanti Lagoon
Miñiques Lagoon
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