Cejar Lagoon is an oasis of water in the middle of a salt desert. Holiday makers flock to this wonder known as the “Floating Lagoon” to lie on their backs atop the water and read a book. The remarkable pool of water is in the centre of a scenic region with the Andes Mountains far in the distance beyond endless stretches of terrain white from dried salt.
Enjoy the inexplicable sensation, rare in the natural world, of floating completely effortlessly. Capture photos of your family members in comical poses atop the salty water. Equally strange is the feeling of swimming in water in the heart of one of the world’s driest deserts. Brace yourself for the cold feel of the water at an altitude of 8,500 feet (2,600 metres) above sea level.
Admire the beautiful colour of the blue-green water next to the white salt plains. The pink and black hues of flamingos and tagua birds living beside the lagoon add to the array of colours.
The flat salt plains appear to stretch indefinitely in certain directions, providing excellent opportunities for trick photography due to the lack of objects for distance perspective. Marvel at the mesmerizing sunset that seems to last forever over the flat terrain.
High concentrations of salt and lithium in the pool make the floating experience here similar to that in the Dead Sea. Wash the salt from your body after your swim in one of the showers next to the lagoon.
Stop off on your return from the lagoon at the Ojos del Salar, which comprises two freshwater pools and Lake Tebenquinche.
Lagoon tours tend to start in the afternoon and last about 4 hours. This includes travel and time in the water. Pay the fee for the tour as well as entrance fees to the pools of water themselves.
Cejar Lagoon is located 12 miles (19 kilometres) south of San Pedro de Atacama. A tour bus or taxi should take around 45 minutes to reach the lagoon from the centre of the village.
