Salar de Surire

The salt flat stretches across 144 square kilometers at an elevation of 4,260 meters, featuring white salt crusts and shallow lagoons throughout the landscape.

The area received official protection status in 1983 when it was designated as Monumento Nacional Salar de Surire, covering 11,298 hectares of salt flats and lagoons.

The name Surire originates from the Aymara language, referring to the presence of rheas, large flightless birds that inhabited the surrounding territories.

Visitors require four-wheel-drive vehicles to access the site via Route A-235, which connects to the Arica-La Paz international highway CH-11.

The salt flat contains geysers at Polloquere, which release visible steam columns at 4,225 meters altitude during cloudy weather conditions.

Location: Arica y Parinacota Region

Elevation above the sea: 4,260 m

GPS coordinates: -18.83722,-69.04611

Latest update: May 17, 2025 10:43