Salar El Laco, Salt flat in Antofagasta Region, Chile.

Salar El Laco is a playa-type salt flat at the southeastern end of the Altiplano in the Antofagasta Region, at the foot of the El Laco volcanic complex. It covers 16.2 km² at an altitude of 4,250 m, with lagoons covering 2.2 km² within a 306 km² basin. It is surrounded by hills and volcanoes reaching 5,000 m or more.

Luis Risopatrón described the lagoon in his 1924 Diccionario Jeográfico de Chile, placing it at 23°53' S, 67°26' W, west of Laguna Sico and north of the trail to Salar de Talar. The salt flat lies at the foot of the El Laco volcanic complex, in a basin of 306 km² at 4,250 m, ringed by hills and volcanoes reaching 5,000 m or more.

The salt flat lies beside the El Laco volcanic complex, and the 1924 Diccionario Jeográfico de Chile by Luis Risopatrón records a small lagoon called Laco west of Laguna Sico, on the north side of the trail to Salar de Talar. The name Laco is still used for the flat and its lagoon.

Visit this location by booking organized tours from San Pedro de Atacama, as road access is limited and terrain is challenging. Proper acclimatization to the high altitude is essential before spending time exploring the area.

Luis Risopatrón described the lagoon in his 1924 Diccionario Jeográfico de Chile, placing it west of Laguna Sico beside the trail to the Salar de Talar. The salt flat lies at the foot of the El Laco volcanic complex, whose peaks reach 5,000 m or more.