Salinas Lagoon Sightseeing Tour from Arequipa, Chiguata Stop
From €22 per person
See availability →A Salinas Lagoon sightseeing tour from Arequipa through the Salinas y Aguada Blanca reserve: volcano views, Chiguata village, camelids, flamingos and salt mirrors.
The Salinas Lagoon sightseeing tour from Arequipa is a slow climb with a lot of stops, and that is its charm. After the pick-up at hotels in the city centre, the first halt is the volcano viewpoint in Chiguata district, where Arequipa's famous peaks line up for photos. In Chiguata village you walk into the main square, home to the Church of the Holy Spirit, and sit down to a typical local breakfast.
The road then climbs to Alto Simbral, at 4,200 metres above sea level, where you can recognise local plants such as queñua, yareta and tola. At the lagoon you spend between one hour and an hour and a half, stopping to watch flamingos, Andean flamingos and the water mirrors, and to spot vicuñas, llamas and alpacas. In the dry season the route also visits the salt extraction sites.
- Chiguata, with its viewpoint and village square
- Alto Simbral, for the high Andean plants
- Salinas Lagoon, with flamingos and camelids
You can stroll around the area, relax in the optional mini thermal pools or, weather permitting, take a short hike through the reserve. The tour is a full day of about 8 hours, and it ends close to the Plaza de Armas. Transport, hotel pick-up and a professional guide are included. The community tax, food and the thermal pools are paid separately.