The Salar de Atacama is Chile's largest salt flat: about 3,000 km² of salt crust at 2,300 m above sea level, starting a few kilometers south of San Pedro de Atacama. What you actually visit are its lagoons: Cejar for floating, Ojos del Salar, Tebinquinche for sunset and Chaxa for flamingos.
What the Salar de Atacama Is and Where It Lies
It is not a flat white plain like Uyuni. The surface is rough and grayish brown, and the places people visit are the lagoons along its edges, where water coming down from the Andes reaches the surface.
For travelers, the salt flat splits into two areas. The northern sector, 20 to 30 minutes from town, has the lagoons for swimming and sunset: Cejar, Ojos del Salar and Tebinquinche. The southeastern sector, past Toconao, has Laguna Chaxa, the flamingo lagoon. Half a day per sector is enough.
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Area | Approx. 3,000 km² (about 100 × 80 km) |
| Altitude | Approx. 2,300 m.a.s.l., slightly lower than San Pedro (2,400 m) |
| Distance from San Pedro | 20 km (Cejar) to approx. 60 km (Chaxa) |
| Protection | Part of the salt flat lies inside Los Flamencos National Reserve |
| Lagoon management | Atacameño (Lickanantay) communities and CONAF |
| Difficulty | Very low, flat walks on marked trails |
| Other | One of the world's largest lithium reserves; mining operations are in the southern sector, far from the tourist lagoons |
Because of its altitude, the salt flat is the easiest outing for your first or second day. It needs no acclimatization and works as the start of an acclimatization itinerary in San Pedro de Atacama if you plan to climb a volcano afterwards.
The Lagoons of the Salar de Atacama Compared
| Lagoon | Sector | Distance from San Pedro | Swimming | Approx. entrance (adult) | Best time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cejar and Piedra | North | 20 km | Yes, in Laguna Piedra (floating) | CLP $15,000 | Midday and early afternoon |
| Ojos del Salar | North | Approx. 20 km, on the way to Cejar | Yes, in one of the two pools | No separate fee approx. | Any time with sun |
| Tebinquinche | North | Approx. 30 km | No | CLP $6,000 | Sunset |
| Chaxa | Southeast | Approx. 60 km, via Toconao | No | Ask at the ticket office | Early morning or sunset |
| Baltinache | West | Approx. 1 hour | Yes (floating) | CLP $10,000 | Morning |
Prices are for reference and are charged by the communities at each lagoon's ticket office. Almost no tour includes them, so budget for them separately. Cejar requires booking online in advance during high season.
Northern Sector: Cejar, Ojos del Salar and Tebinquinche
This is the circuit most people do in one afternoon: leave San Pedro around 2:00 or 3:00 pm, stop at Cejar for a swim, continue to Ojos del Salar and finish with sunset at Tebinquinche. It takes 4 to 5 hours, and it is what our tour to Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar and Tebinquinche includes.
Laguna Cejar and Laguna Piedra: Floating in Salt
Cejar is a group of lagoons saltier than the Dead Sea, so your body floats on its own. Swimming is allowed in Laguna Piedra, right next to it, not in Cejar itself. There are freshwater showers, toilets and changing rooms, and you will need them: dried salt itches and stings any cut.
Three things to know before you go. The water is cold even when the air is at 30 °C. The edges are salt crystals that cut, so bring sandals. And don't shave or wax that day.
If you'd rather get there by pedaling, the e-bike tour to Laguna Cejar covers about 28 km round trip on flat roads, with electric assistance for the afternoon wind. Fees and opening hours are on the Laguna Cejar page.
Ojos del Salar: Two Freshwater Pools
The Ojos del Salar are two almost circular pools in the middle of the plain, side by side. They are sinkholes filled with groundwater, more than 30 m deep with vertical edges. You can swim in one of them, but without Cejar's buoyancy: the water has little salt and tires you more than you'd expect at 2,300 m. The stop lasts 20 or 30 minutes and is more for photos than for swimming.
Stay away from edges without grass: the crust can hide salty mud.
Laguna Tebinquinche: Sunset
Tebinquinche is a very shallow lagoon, a few centimeters deep, surrounded by white crust. With no wind it turns into a mirror that reflects the volcanoes to the east, with Licancabur in front. That is why every tour leaves it for the end of the afternoon. Swimming is not allowed: the water contains natural arsenic and the edges hold stromatolites, microbial colonies that break if stepped on.
The afternoon wind decides whether you get a mirror or not. If it picks up, the surface ripples and the reflection disappears. Sometimes it drops just before sunset, so it pays to wait.
Once the sun drops behind the Cordillera de la Sal, the temperature falls fast. Bring a warm layer even if you left in a T-shirt. If the pyramid reflected in the water makes you want to climb it, the guided Licancabur volcano ascent reaches 5,916 m and is done after a few days of acclimatization.
Southeastern Sector: Laguna Chaxa and the Flamingos
Laguna Chaxa is in the Soncor sector of Los Flamencos National Reserve, about 60 km from San Pedro past Toconao. It is the best spot on the salt flat to see flamingos: Andean, Chilean and James's, which feed on tiny crustaceans in the brackish water. There is a marked trail and you can't leave it, swim or fly drones.
Flamingos are most active early in the morning and at sunset. Bring binoculars or a telephoto lens, because from the trail they are several dozen meters away.
Chaxa is rarely visited on its own. The most common tour combines it with Toconao in the morning and with the Miscanti and Miñiques altiplanic lagoons, at 4,100 m, in a full day. From the lagoon you can see Láscar volcano to the east, the most active in northern Chile. For many people it is their first 5,000 m peak: the Láscar volcano tour climbs to 5,592 m in one day, and we do it after two or three days in San Pedro.
How to Visit the Salar de Atacama
There are three ways, and the choice mostly matters for the northern sector. Chaxa is far, so it is better done on a tour or by car.
| Option | For whom | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided tour | Short on days or don't want to drive | Transport, schedules matched to entrance bookings, a guide who explains the salt flat | Fixed schedule and group |
| Rental car | Want to go at your own pace | Freedom to wait for sunset or reach Chaxa early | Washboard gravel, dust, and you book entrances yourself |
| E-bike | Want to move a bit on day one | Cejar by pedal, with no altitude effort | Headwind on the way back, sun with no shade |
By car you don't need a 4x4: the roads to the salt flat are firm gravel and a regular car gets there fine if you drive slowly. We explain it in the guide do you need a 4x4 in San Pedro de Atacama? (in Spanish). To locate the lagoons and check driving times, use the Atacama interactive map.
If you have only one day for the salt flat, do the northern sector in the afternoon: it combines swimming and sunset, and our Laguna Cejar tour has it all coordinated. Chaxa makes sense if you also want to see the altiplanic lagoons. And if you want a less crowded alternative to Cejar, the Baltinache hidden lagoons also let you float, with a rougher road and more basic facilities.
When to Go and What to Bring
You can visit the salt flat all year. In summer (December to March) midday is hotter and January and February bring the odd afternoon altiplanic storm. In winter (June to August) the water at Cejar is even colder, and sunset at Tebinquinche gets properly cold. Monthly temperatures are in San Pedro de Atacama weather.
What to always bring:
- Sunscreen and dark sunglasses. Salt reflects light and there is no shade at any lagoon.
- A hat or cap and a warm layer for sunset.
- Swimsuit, towel and sandals if you go to Cejar or Ojos del Salar.
- Water: there is nowhere to buy it at Tebinquinche or Chaxa.
- Cash for the entrances, in case card payment fails.
Láscar VolcanoLáscar Volcano Tour (5,592 m)
The volcano you see from Laguna Chaxa. A one-day ascent to the active crater, ideal as a first 5,000 m peak after two or three days of acclimatization in San Pedro.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see in the Salar de Atacama?
The lagoons: Cejar and Piedra for floating, Ojos del Salar, Tebinquinche for sunset and Chaxa for flamingos. The first three are done together in one afternoon; Chaxa is further south and pairs with Toconao and the altiplanic lagoons.
Can you visit the Salar de Atacama without a tour?
Yes. The roads are gravel and a regular car gets there. You need to book or pay each lagoon's entrance yourself and keep to the ticket office hours, which close shortly after sunset.
How much does it cost to visit the Salar de Atacama?
There is no fee for the salt flat itself; you pay per lagoon. As a reference, Cejar costs about CLP $15,000 per adult and Tebinquinche about CLP $6,000. Tours are paid separately and almost never include entrance fees.
What is the difference between the Salar de Atacama and the Salar de Uyuni?
Uyuni, in Bolivia, is bigger (over 10,000 km²), higher (3,650 m) and white and flat. Atacama's is rough and brown, and what you visit are its lagoons. From San Pedro you can cross to Uyuni on a 3 or 4 day tour; we explain it in Uyuni salt flat from San Pedro de Atacama.
