Los Flamencos National Reserve, National reserve near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Los Flamencos National Reserve covers 740 square kilometres in the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion and is divided into seven separate sections. These include the high salt flats of Tara and Aguas Calientes at up to 4,860 metres, the isolated Salar de Pujsa, the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons separated by a lava flow, the Soncor and Quelana lagoons on the Salar de Atacama, the Valle de la Luna with the Cordillera de la Sal, and the Tambillo tamarugo forest.

The reserve was created in 1990 by CONAF, Chile's national forestry agency, and covers 73,986.5 hectares in the Salar de Atacama basin. Its seven sections were defined in the founding decree, each at a different altitude with its own climate and wildlife. Salar de Tara was named a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1996, and Salar de Pujsa followed in 2009. The Soncor hydrological system is also a Ramsar site.

The Tulor archaeological site displays circular mud dwellings built by early inhabitants centuries ago. These ruins help visitors understand how people managed to live in this extremely dry landscape.

Early morning visits are best when birds are active and the air remains cool before midday heat sets in. It is wise to wear comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water, as the sun is intense and shade is scarce throughout the area.

The Soncor section's Chaxa, Puilar and Barros Negros lagoons sit on the Salar de Atacama, Chile's largest salt flat at 2,305 m. Andean flamingos nest here, one of the few known nesting sites for the species, alongside Chilean flamingos, Andean avocets and Baird's sandpipers.