Mar Chiquita Lagoon

Mar Chiquita, now protected within the Ansenuza national park, is a closed salt lake in northeastern Córdoba that can cover several thousand square kilometres, the largest of its kind in South America and saltier than the sea in dry years. Its shallow waters and the vast Dulce river marshes to the north support extraordinary numbers of birds: three flamingo species in flocks that reach hundreds of thousands, along with migratory shorebirds that fly in from the Arctic, herons, ducks and raptors. The lakeside town of Miramar de Ansenuza grew as a spa resort in the mid-twentieth century, was flooded when water levels rose in the 1970s, and still shows the shells of drowned hotels along the shore, an eerie counterpoint to the birdlife.

The landscape

• The flamingo flocks - three species in enormous numbers on the shallows.
• The drowned hotels - ruins of the old spa resort along the Miramar shore.
• The migratory shorebirds - Arctic-breeding waders on the mudflats.
• The open lake - a horizon of salt water with no far shore in sight.

When to go

September to March for the migratory birds and warmest weather; flamingos are present year-round but numbers shift with water levels. Water can be brownish and the shoreline muddy after storms. Early morning is best for birding and calm water.

What to expect

Water levels fluctuate dramatically between years, changing where birds concentrate and how far the shore lies from the road, so a scope or binoculars are essential. Infrastructure is thin outside Miramar, and biting insects can be fierce in warm months.

Nearby

Miramar de Ansenuza is the base town; Córdoba city lies southwest.