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Altiplano
Wildlife Tour
 This
wildlife expedition takes us to the far North of Chile, into the
Altiplano, an extensive plane highland located 4000 mt /13.000ft
above sea level. This vast plateau is characterized by vast meadows
crossed by deep gorges, dotted with lagoons, dark lava stripes and
occasional white sparkling saltpans.
Lauca
National Park
This
park which covers an area of 137.883 ha is protected since 1970
and considered World Biosphere Reserve by the Unesco since 1981.
With its impressive array of mountains and volcanoes, varying in
altitude between 3.200 and 6.342mt., the deep blue Chungara lake
(4.517m, 21,5km2), the various smaller turqoise Cotacotani lagoons
and the Lauca river, the Lauca National Park forms an enormous potential
for observing outstanding fauna in a beautiful and pristine scenery.
In total, we find more than 130 different bird species and 21 species
of mammals.
Las
Vicunas National Park
The
most interesting feature on the park is the Surire Saltflat remarkable
for the outstanding population of flamingos, which inhabit the area.
In the world five species of flamingoes exist, and three of them
can be seen in this National park: The Andean flamingo, the Chilean
flamingo and the James flamingo (see ..photos of flamingos)or Parina
chica. Due to the rainfalls, in summer many shallow lagoons emerge,
supplying the flamingos with all the microorganisms they need for
their nutrition. At the end of the dry season, these lagoons vanish
completely and leave the white plane, which forms the salt flat.
National
Park Volcano Isluga
This
National park adds to its natural beauty an amazing cultural richness.
Varying from meseta to Cordillera, from 2.100m/6.300ft to 5.400m/16.500ft,
the park hosts a great variety of different species of birds and
mammals, as well as ceremonial villages of the Aymara culture, such
as Isluga, Enquelga and Aravilla.
ITINERARY
Day
1, Arica- Putre. Morning reception at Arica airport. Immediately,
we start driving up onwards the township of Putre (140km/88miles),
gaining an altitude of 3.500m/10.500ft. Day 2, Lake Chungara.
The morning will be for acclimatization to the altitude by walking
around town.
Day 3,
Surire. Early departure onwards the Surire saltflat, located inside
the Las Vicunas National Park.
Day 4,
Surire- Chusmiza. We get up at dusk to admire the sun coming up
over this prehistoric lake and to do more wildlife observation.
Day 5, Chusmiza- Iquique. Today we will drive approx. 180
kms to the seaport of Iquique descending from an altitude of 3.650m/12.000ft
to sea level.
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