Red water
Algae and sediment.
Luca Galuzzi (Lucag) — CC BY-SA 2.5 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · kallerna — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl — CC BY 3.0
A shallow, very salty lake at about 4,278 metres whose water turns red, pink and orange from tiny algae and red sediment, dotted with white islands of borax, like a painting of strange colours between brown mountains. It has been a protected Ramsar wetland since 1990. Thousands of flamingos live here, including the rare James's flamingo, once thought extinct, walking through the red water and feeding on the algae. Llamas and vicuñas graze along the shores. The water's colour shifts through the day with light and wind, turning deepest red in the afternoon. A small lookout and shore paths overlook the lake, and most tours spend the night in simple lodges nearby. It is seen on 4x4 tours from Uyuni, most often the three-day tour, so choose a company with careful drivers and sound vehicles. The altitude is over 4,000 metres and nights are bitterly cold, often below minus ten, so bring winter clothes and a warm sleeping bag.
Algae and sediment.
In thousands.
Bright white.
Eduardo Avaroa reserve, south-west Bolivia near the Chilean border
Tiny pigmented algae and red sediment in the salty water; the colour deepens in the afternoon with light and wind.