Los Flamencos National Reserve
The Reserve is located 127 km. northeast of Calama and 27 km. south of San Pedro de Atacama, with a total area of 73.986 hectares divided into various sectors, each with its own distinctive characteristics.
Salares de Tara y Aguas Calientes Sector
This sector lies 100 km. from San Pedro de Atacama, following the side road to Salares de Tara; here you will find cliffs which have been dubbed with a variety of names, as well as pools, streams, springs and salt crust. The characteristic flora is constituted by bofedales, yellow straw, coirón, water tola and amai tola. On the other hand, the fauna includes three varieties of flamingoes, vicuñas, culpeo fox, puna guinea pig, chululos, Andean avocet, Andean seagulls, puna plovers, jeron duck and guallata.
Salar de Pujsa Sector
This is the most inaccessible sector of the reserve, located 83 km. from San Pedro de Atacama. There are several water sources, with pools in the salt flat and streams in the Quepiaco gorge. Flora is scarce and only the bitter coirón and yellow straw. The fauna, on the other hand, is abundant: bird species include the juarjual and jeron duck, guallatas, ñandúes, puna partridges, tricolor sea chick, Andean avocets, Baird playero, Andean seagulls, cometocinos, puna plovers, Puna miners and the three varieties of flamingoes; while among the mammals are the culpeo fox, puna guinea pig, and chululos.
Miscanti-Miñiques Lakes Sector
On the road from San Pedro to Toconao you will come to the Miscanti-Miñiques lakes, located among the hills of the same name. They are at altitudes of 4.100 and 4.350 mts. respectively. Apart from flamingoes, the fauna includes tagua cornuda, juarjual ducks, puna plovers, playeros de Baird and guallatas. The flora includes species such as the llareta and yellow straw.
Soncor Sector
This sector, which includes the Puilar, Chaxa and Barros Negros pools and the Burro Muerto river, is easily accessible. These places are all surrounded by the same thick salt crust, and their fauna includes the Chilean flamingo, James’ flamingo or parina chica, and Andean flamingo or parina grande. Other species are the Andean seagull, guallata, puna plover, Andean avocet, playero de Baird, black-backed swallow, colegial, pequén, and tricolor sea chick. The flora is characterized by the presence of ephedra breana, salt grasses, and cachiyuyo in the areas that surround the pools.
Aguas de Quelana Sector
This sector is located some 10 km south of the intersection that leads to Chaxa. It consists of a series of shallow pools interconnected by natural channels. The flora includes cachiyuyo, salt grasses and ephedra breana. Three species of flamingo can be found, also aguiluchos, puna plovers, swallows, pollitos de mar tricolor, Andean seagulls, guallatas, playero de Baird, Andean avocets and pequenes.
Valle de la Luna Sector
This zone includes the famous “Valley of the Moon”, the village of Túlor and some archeological sites representative of the Atacama salt flat. The fauna includes culpeo fox, gray fox, and chululos. Among the birds there are turtledoves, aguiluchos, black thrushes, chincoles, chercanes and storks. The flora consists of carob tree, salt grasses, ephedra breana, cachiyuyo, and wild fuchsia.
Tambillo Sector
This is the nearest sector to San Pedro de Atacama and its main feature is its tamarugo forest, the only one in the region.
Check out the CONAF website for more information about your visit (in spanish only).
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