Salar de Surire

Surire lies at about 4,250 metres in the far north, a salt flat of roughly a hundred square kilometres declared a natural monument in 1983, and its distinguishing feature is that it does two things at once: Chilean, Andean and James's flamingos breed here in numbers, and a borax mine operates on the flat, with trucks crossing the same ground. The tension between the two has been argued over for decades and the arrangement remains uneasy. At the southern end are the Polloquere hot springs, undeveloped pools in the open altiplano. Vicuña and vizcacha are common around the edges.

Background

The natural monument lies in the Andes of the Arica y Parinacota Region and consists mainly of a salt flat and several small salt lakes, with the Arintica volcano rising above it. It covers 158.58 square kilometres. Together with Lauca National Park and Las Vicuñas National Reserve it forms the Lauca Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO in 1981, and it has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 2 December 1996.

Source: Wikipedia, "Salar de Surire Natural Monument"

What you'll find

• Three flamingo species breeding - Chilean, Andean and James's.
• A working borax mine - on the same flat, an uneasy coexistence.
• Polloquere hot springs - undeveloped pools at the southern end.
• A monument since 1983 - at about 4,250 metres.

When to go

April to November; the altiplanic summer rains make the roads impassable. A full day.

Things to know

This is remote high-altitude driving with no fuel, food or signal for long distances - a four-wheel drive and supplies are not optional. Nesting areas must be kept well clear of. The springs have no facilities at all.

Nearby

Isluga volcano park is south; Putre and Lauca are north.

Key facts