Mar Chiquita, Salt lake and national park in Córdoba Province, Argentina
Mar Chiquita is a salt lake and national park in Córdoba and Santiago del Estero provinces in central Argentina. The surface shifts between roughly 2,000 and 6,000 square kilometers (770 and 2,300 square miles), depending on rainfall and the inflow from the Dulce, Primero, and Segundo rivers.
The lake served for a long time as fishing ground and destination for spa visitors seeking the saline waters. The Gran Hotel Viena opened in the 1940s and drew guests until dropping water levels and economic shifts ended its operation.
The name derives from 'little sea,' yet locals know it also as Laguna Mar Chiquita or Ansenuza, an indigenous term that refers to the brackish waters. Fishers work along parts of the shore where salinity allows pejerrey to thrive, and their catch supplies nearby towns.
Access follows unpaved roads that can become difficult in wet weather. Water and sun protection are necessary for outings, as shade around the shore zones is scarce.
Up to half a million Wilson's phalaropes winter here and use shallow sections for feeding. The birds arrive from North America and form large flocks along the shorelines during their stay.
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