Colorful lagoons, remnants of salt flats, and volcanic landscapes define Sur Lípez. Its natural attractions vary considerably: Laguna Colorada is known for its distinctive color and flamingos, while volcanoes, rock formations, and hot springs are other highlights. If you are planning a trip and looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide which landscapes and natural features you want to make the focus of your stay.
Lagoons and Wildlife
Sur Lípez is characterized by colorful lagoons with varying physical and chemical compositions that are predominantly saline. Small salt flats formed as remnants of many lagoons. The color of Laguna Colorada is attributed to the alga Dunaliella salina; the lagoon covers 60 km² and is home to three of the world’s six flamingo species. An article dated April 7, 2021, identifies it as a Ramsar site and a wetland of international importance. Laguna Verde offers a different highlight with its emerald-green color and covers approximately 1,700 hectares.
Volcanoes and Sculpted Rocks
The Desierto de Dalí consists of volcanic rocks in the Pampa Jara near the Salar de Chalviri. On the Pampa de Siloli, Árbol de Piedra offers a different scale: the five-meter-high rock was shaped by the wind over millennia and stands among volcanic rocks of various shapes. The difference is between a landscape of volcanic rocks and a single wind-sculpted formation.
Volcán Licancabur has an almost perfect conical shape; a lagoon in its crater freezes over in winter. Volcán Uturuncu is a dormant volcano with active fumaroles. The crater lagoon and the fumaroles represent two distinct geological features.
Altitudes, Hot Springs, and How to Get There
Laguna Blanca lies at the foot of Volcán Juriques; its waters are home to bird breeding sites. The Aguas Termales de Polques emerge from the rocky ground and reach 38 to 40 °C. The elevations refer to different locations: the Polques spring is at 4,300 m, the Desierto de Dalí at approximately 4,320 m, the lagoon in Licancabur’s crater at 5,916 m, and Uturuncu reaches 6,020 m.
A route description dated April 7, 2021, identifies Uyuni in Potosí as the best access point to the reserve and gives a travel time of six hours from there to the municipality of Quetena Chico. For the south, a route description from the same date describes access from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile via a road connected to roads from Laguna Colorada. The two directions differ in their starting points and details: for Uyuni, a travel time to Quetena Chico is given; for the southern route, a road connection is described. Check current travel conditions before planning, and also check border access for the southern route.
When looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide what you want to focus on: are you most interested in lagoons and flamingos, volcanoes and rock formations, or hot springs? You can then use the routes described as a separate part of your planning.
Discover more destinations: San Pablo De Lipez, Antonio Quijarro, Nor Lípez, Sur Chichas, Daniel Campos, Charcas, Tomás Frías
Return to the main travel overview: Potosí.
