WHAT: A cycling trip to the three lakes of Cejar, in one of which you can actually swim/float WHERE: Some 18 km south of San Pedro de Atacama, right in the middle of the desert HOW LONG: I needed 4 hours in total - 2 cycling and 2 visiting and floating in the lakes. I strongly suggest you to go in the morning. HOW MUCH: Renting a bicycle will cost you 3000 - 3500 CLP. Admission to the laguna is 10000 CLP in the morning and 15000 CLP in the afternoon
You see this woman in the picture above? She ain’t some kind of master acrobat; this little lake she’s swimming in is so full of salt that you can basically float in it. A little Dead Sea smack right in the middle of the Chilean desert. Seems pretty fun right?
Tour operators on average ask around 15000 – 17000 CLP to join their tours to this area. But since the lakes are only 18 km from town, why not just go there yourself! I did so and though I was kind of afraid of the heat, it wasn’t that tough to me at all.
To turn the conditions in my favour I left in the early morning. Well early; around 9ish. San Pedro wakes up rather late and the bicycle shops open around 08:30 am. After a small explanation at the shop about the super simple track I was ready to hit the road. I’m not perse a sporty spice; far from it perhaps. So take me as an average; it took me some 60-70 minutes to complete the 18 km track.
Some art along the way (beneath the bridge)
Most of it is fairly easy to cycle. Only the last couple of km are getting bumpy. Perhaps you want to slow down over there a bit, because you can basically feel your brain having a fiesta in your skull.
This is basically how most of the road looks like. Apart from a brain drilling part in the end
Another view along the way
The first time the salt came creeping into the picture
And finally; after some 60 to 70 minutes of cycling: the entrance of the lakes!
Unfortunately the admission is ridiculously high, one of the highest of all attractions in the area. Again, if you go in the morning this will save you another 5000 CLP. Minding the high fee, to me seeing the lakes was worth it, even though I already had seen quite some salty lakes at the Bolivian salt flats.
In general the lakes aren’t that impressive, but I considered the area in itself is lovely; the colours are beautiful and it’s a lot of fun that you’re able to swim in one of them. See for yourself how that looks like!
The first lake on the left side
My personal filtering hero; just a little advertisement in between ;). We bought this BeFree filter of Katadyn last year in the States and it’s just worth a shout out. Saved us tons of bottles along the road ever since (in Costa Rica we used the giant, refillable bottles and in Holland luckily enough you can drink tap water) and it’s super flexibel too. I wished we already had it ten years ago. Really worth a try, only 40 bucks for this small one and they now come in larger sizes too!
Gorgeous vistas along the little road to the first (left) lake
And here we have the first view on the other (right) lake
Here's the one next to that, were you can swim at
So many pretty colours right?!
Getting ready for a swim. I was there around 10 am and also the first visitor who came down to this swimming lake.
Tiny cute birds are walking around the salty lakes
I was just minding my own business floating in the water (with a bit of an uncomfortable smile since the water was freakin' cold) when this fellow on the next picture suddenly popped up on the salt fields (like, how) all the way ready for some skinny dipping and scaring the shits out of the human visitors. Beautiful though innit?
That's all folks! How you can use the info. Don't be scared of the spider though, I'm sure he was just a one time visitor :)
Gary Butler
October 19, 2023 at 2:04 pm
This is a great place to visit. However, you must be a better cyclist than you think. We’re regular cyclists and found the cycle tough. It’s at least 90 minutes ride, and the last third is across very bumpy gravel.