Lagunas de Baltinache

Also called the Lagunas Escondidas, these are seven small sinkhole lagoons in the salt crust west of San Pedro, invisible until you are almost on top of them because the crust around is flat and white. They were used by local people and largely unknown to visitors until the 2010s. The brine is denser than at Cejar and bathing is permitted in one designated lagoon only, with washing before entry, no sunscreen, and a strict cap on daily numbers - a set of rules put in place precisely because of what unrestricted bathing did to comparable lagoons nearby. The colours vary from green to deep blue with the light.

What you actually see

• Seven sinkhole lagoons - invisible until you reach them.
• Dense brine - saltier than the better known lagoons.
• One designated bathing lagoon - with washing required first.
• Daily numbers capped - the lesson learned from Cejar.

When to go

Year round. Half a day.

Honest expectations

Visits are limited and generally arranged through operators rather than independently. The track across the salar is rough. There is no fresh water for rinsing beyond what is carried. The rules are enforced.

Nearby

Laguna Cejar is east; San Pedro is beyond it.