Salar de Tara

 

Located in between volcanos in the National Reserve of the Flamingos at 4300m over sea level, the Salt Lake Tara is another of the numerous attractive sites of the region. 

 

Its surface is 48 square kilometers big and is composed by lagoons and small rivers, creating an amazing scenery with hilly regions, volcanos, animals and native vegetation. There are many different kinds of plants frowing on the wetland, and also you will be able to observe flamingos, vicuñas, chululos, foxes and various Andean bird species. 

 

San Pedro de Atacama Tours

 

When arriving at the Salt Lake Tara you will pass natural cathedrals sticking out into the sky. This place offers an incomparable landscape full of contrasts that contribute to the uniqueness of this attraction.

 

'Tara' means nest of flamingos. The Salt Lake Tara is the hatural habitat for a big number of flamingos nesting here. The fauna consists of three species of flamingos, vicuñas, foxes, highland guineapigs, chululos, Andean gulls, jergon ducks and guallata geese.

 

The flora of the salt lake is based on the existence of bofedales (typical wetland). There are plain areas and some hilly regions like mountain flanks where you can find paja amarilla, coirón, water tola and tola amaia.

 

At the Salt Lake Tara it is furthermore possible to appreciate the ash cathedrals that have developed thanks to the volcano Vilama. These formations have been accumulated on the surface over time and create interesting atypical circular figures.

 

The volcano Vilma is considered the second most important volcano in the world, after the volcano of Yellowstone in the United States. The huge caldera, as geologists say, is located in the region between Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.

 

The biosystems present at the salt flat are very important for the preservation of the coexisting species in the region.