Cejar Lagoon & Tebinquinche: Top Desert Oasis Review
Alright, so let’s talk about the Atacama Desert, which is in Chile, and some of the pretty unreal spots you can find out there. More or less, it’s an area that just screams adventure, and the Cejar Lagoon, along with the Ojos Del Salar and Tebinquinche Lagoon, that are nearby, well they’re really destinations that have caught my attention, that’s a fact. They provide pretty special experiences. We will check out why they’re worth the journey. That way you might just find your next travel stop. It can really make for memories that you’re likely to keep for quite some time.
Experiencing Cejar Lagoon: Float Like Never Before
If you ever want to feel what floating in the Dead Sea might be like, Cejar Lagoon is actually your place. You can get pretty close to that same kind of crazy buoyancy due to the seriously high salt concentration. The lagoon is part of the Atacama Salt Flat, too it’s an absolutely stunning place with landscapes that stretch forever. Once you sink yourself in the water, and you kind of can’t help but float. The sensation is quite strange to tell the truth. As I was saying, the landscape around is pretty unbelievable as you have those big, old volcanoes in the distance. Anyway just be aware that bringing a towel and flip-flops is certainly a good idea, and that any cuts you might have might sting a little in the salty water. If I remember correctly the water tends to be quite cool, alright, so that’s a consideration, too.
Best time to visit: Alright, so during the warmer months—November to March—the water tends to be just a little more inviting. Sunrise and sunset are really awesome. Also there tends to be great colors that really bring out the beauty of the place. Plus, I would add to always double-check if the lagoon is, you know, even open to the public, as well as for any guidelines that are enforced to make sure that everything remains nicely kept. In some respects, you want to do all that beforehand. That should save you time.
Ojos Del Salar: Natural Swimming Holes
Anyway, not too far from Cejar Lagoon, are those twin sinkholes called Ojos Del Salar, in a way translating to “eyes of the salt flat.” Now these deep, freshwater pools provide just a completely different swim than Cejar. It’s almost as if they offer you the chance to actually plunge and cleanse off all that salt after your float, I suppose. You may want to know that cliff jumping can be quite a draw for those brave enough. To be honest, though, these natural pools offer you pretty spectacular spots for a swim amidst the desert views.
Typically, the views are more calm than what you might see elsewhere, and, as a matter of fact, if you have the gear, these spots can be super cool for some very distinctive pictures. It might be because of how isolated the place feels, like your right there, that makes it especially charming, that I suppose.
Tebinquinche Lagoon: Reflecting the Sky
Anyway let’s move on to Tebinquinche Lagoon. So this location is something a bit different. Tebinquinche, typically known for its dark waters, provides those unbelievable reflections of the Andes Mountains, too it’s almost something straight out of a painting. People often go later in the afternoon. So this is what gives the views a particularly ethereal kind of glow, okay, just as the sun goes down.
It’s actually way different compared to swimming in Cejar or Ojos. Tebinquinche is basically all about the landscape, where people stroll the shoreline and absorb the stillness. Anyway keep your eye open for wildlife, such as flamingos, that visit, if I remember correctly. I suppose just be respectful to nature in this very unique habitat. When I went that had a entry cost and operation times that were enforced. Check this before you head out there so you don’t lose your trip. That tends to save time, too.
Planning Your Visit: San Pedro de Atacama as Your Base
If I remember correctly to visit these lagoons, most folks hang out in San Pedro de Atacama. It is often where tour groups leave. Plus, honestly, you could totally handle car rentals from here, but if you don’t feel like that kind of a mission, going with a tour provider actually is pretty stress-free. So that takes care of travel as well as entry stuff at the site. So consider altitude and how physically taxing walking at places way up high might just be. To be honest, San Pedro has decent accommodations. It caters to all travel kinds so finding a nice place that fits what you want isn’t actually too tough.
It tends to be that everything is cheaper, to be honest if you make lodging or travel arrangements ahead of time. So this would matter a lot if you visit while it’s really busy. Consider bringing appropriate clothes (hiking footwear, light jackets), enough fluids, just as you consider altitude illness when packing.
Making the Most of Your Desert Trip
To make memories that stay after visiting, a bit of foresight helps. You would want to prepare to just be wowed as the sunsets over the Andes. The lights really create scenes that are just gorgeous and unique. Remember that any pictures, while great, just cannot really do this place justice. In fact engage with everyone too, ask about their takes or, very possibly, listen when locals share desert secrets that give even more worth to this unique area.
Be nice when you see the surrounding environment. That can go such a long way to keep this space gorgeous now but also in the coming years. Appreciate and respect, alright, the local species; if it means reducing the amount of resources you use or keeping an eye out when visiting sensitive wildlife regions, that really is great.
Anyway so many wonderful places could just fade with time and less caution, now more than ever we should keep the value of eco-travel really in mind. With sustainability front of mind it really does make certain you keep this place special and keep experiencing Atacama for decades yet.
Key Takeaways:
- Cejar Lagoon: Do that amazing floating sensation, remember how extremely salty it is!
- Ojos Del Salar: Go for swimming and cliff bouncing in cool sinkholes.
- Tebinquinche Lagoon: Get amazing dusk photos with the Andes reflections.
- San Pedro: Get established here; manage altitude plus lodging options smartly to travel efficiently.
These desert lagoons are definitely a worthy part of any Chile adventure, especially around San Pedro de Atacama. Experiencing these distinct aquatic settings gives unusual ways to appreciate such varied geography—plan wisely!
