Top Altiplano Full-Day Tours: Discover South America’s Highlands
So, are you ready to check out the South American highlands? The Altiplano, is that high-altitude plateau, is one of the most breathtaking places, pretty much anywhere. Spanning across Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile, it is almost like this spot offers like crazy landscapes, strange wildlife, and really unique cultural experiences. If you only have like a day to take it all in, these full-day tours that we picked, that you’ll find there, they give you like a quick peek at the Altiplano’s best features.
Salar de Uyuni Day Tour (Bolivia)
Actually, you know, the Salar de Uyuni, very possibly the world’s biggest salt flat, is probably, for lots of folks, a bucket-list kind of destination. So, these day tours from Uyuni, a town that’s right on the edge of the flats, take you on a spin across that unreal, like seriously huge, white surface. Guides, too it’s almost always experienced locals, take you to interesting locations like Incahuasi Island, is that rocky outcrop that’s covered in gigantic cacti. At that island, the views, by the way, they’re awesome! Because that salt flat is, like seriously flat, it’s kinda well-known for its crazy perspective illusions, making photos, yeah, those will be super fun. Very possibly, one of the big highlights tends to be when the tour guides pick that perfect place for you to take some trick photos, so, that really seems fun. And remember to bring, like, sunglasses because, yeah, the glare from that salt, is super bright.
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Lake Titicaca (Puno, Peru)
So, alright, you should check this out: Lake Titicaca, the hugest lake in South America, well, for one, is considered to be pretty sacred by that Inca people. And from Puno, which, naturally, is a Peruvian city on the lake’s shore, there are trips to visit the Floating Islands of the Uros, is that group of man-made islands completely built from reeds. People that live there, they keep living according to traditions that haven’t actually changed for ages, so they invite tourists in order to take a peek into that interesting daily life. Also, Taquile Island has some striking landscapes, a view is probably incredible from there, and is known actually for that complex, vibrant textiles that are, yeah, handmade by its villagers. Actually, while going around that island, it gives you a chance in a way to breathe in that clear mountain air and feel the rich traditions there.
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El Tatio Geysers (San Pedro de Atacama, Chile)
Speaking of sights, well, picture this. The El Tatio Geysers, it’s actually up in the Atacama Desert in Chile, happens to be a seriously geothermal place. Now, these tours usually begin before sunrise in order to actually get there in time and see those geysers being active at their peak, in that light that comes with daybreak, and you get steam actually shooting up everywhere. Seeing that view is pretty surreal and remarkable too. Also, with these visits, that typically include getting a warm breakfast and then seeing that scenery that’s near by, which, honestly, includes these views of desert and mountains too.
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Laguna Colorada (Bolivia)
As a matter of fact, if you actually travel farther into the Bolivian Altiplano, the Laguna Colorada tends to be very something that’s seriously amazing. Because that lake has this color that is like striking reddish that’s because of those algae, as a matter of fact, that thrive in that water that has those high mineral amounts, I mean, that’s pretty crazy. Very possibly, those big flocks of flamingos standing around that lake make that whole place an even more scenic locale to just see wildlife and nature. Day tours usually add Laguna Colorada into extensive circuits around that southern Altiplano region, which is actually like the Reserva Eduardo Avaroa.
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Puritama Hot Springs (San Pedro de Atacama, Chile)
Alright, you could really go chill in a great natural place, yeah? Puritama Hot Springs, also very close to San Pedro de Atacama, is where you’ll see like a sequence of naturally happening pools with waters that are like warm, is that stuff you like? The water’s rich with minerals and they seem like it could actually really help make muscles feel soothed; because it’s set in that canyon that looks desert-like, this location gives folks that, like seriously, relaxing escape. Those tours usually permit guests to kick back and lounge around in the springs, after probably getting a break after doing something intense out in the desert.
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