Laguna Verde below Licancabur

About this place

A salt lake in Bolivia's far south-west at the foot of the perfect cone of Licancabur volcano, its water shifting between emerald green and turquoise from dissolved minerals such as copper and arsenic, the colour deepening when the afternoon wind stirs up the sediment. Beside it lies white Laguna Blanca, separated by a narrow strip of land, and the view from the shore over both lakes and the volcano, over 5,900 metres high, is one of the finest in the Andes. The volcano straddles the border, half of it in Chile. Near the lake are the Polques hot springs, where visitors soak in warm water in the morning with views over the plains, usually on the last day of the Uyuni tour, before some continue across the border to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. The water is toxic, so don't touch or drink it. 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.