Cejar Lagoon tour from San Pedro de Atacama: Float in salt water

Float effortlessly in emerald salt water surrounded by crystallized salt fields

A half-day tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Cejar Lagoon and Tebenquiche Lagoon, where you float in hypersaline water comparable to the Dead Sea. The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle, snacks, landing fees and a live guide in English or Spanish. Pickup from your hotel is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit lagoons and float in salt water

• Float in Cejar Lagoon's salty water
• Observe flamingos and salt fields
• Walk around Piedra Lagoon
• Enjoy sunset and reflections at Tebenquiche Lagoon
• Watch birds and local wildlife

The experience

Cejar Lagoon sits in a complex of salt flats where the water's saline concentration is so high that you float without effort: sitting down is enough to stay buoyant, and reading a book while suspended in the water is genuinely possible. The lagoon's emerald blue waters are ringed by white crystallized salt fields that glow against the reddish desert, and flamingos arrive to feed and rest in the shallows. A few meters away, Piedra Lagoon offers another floating experience in a protected site that plays an important role in the region's biodiversity.

Tebenquiche Lagoon, your second stop, sits at a different scale: a vast mirror that reflects the sky and the surrounding Atacama valley. At sunset, the colors intensify across the still water and the landscape, and the lagoon hosts birds, foxes and flamingos that move through the ecosystem. The water here carries microbial agents that have existed for millions of years, part of the geological story of the region.

The tour runs four to five hours and departs from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama in an air-conditioned vehicle. Snacks and all landing and facility fees are included. Your guide speaks English or Spanish and travels with the group throughout.

What’s included

• Snacks.
• landing and facility fees.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 15:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Under 8: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 31 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Capricornio Expediciones

Is this one for you?Choose this half-day tour if you're staying in San Pedro de Atacama and want to float in hypersaline lagoons between other activities: the afternoon timing and small-group format let you experience multiple lagoons without a full-day commitment.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Cejar Lagoon like when I get there?

Cejar Lagoon's water is so saline that you float without swimming: the concentration rivals the Dead Sea. The lagoon sits inside a complex of white crystallized salt fields that stand out against the red desert, and emerald-blue water draws flamingos that feed and rest in the shallows.

Can I float in the water if I'm not a strong swimmer?

Yes. The high salt concentration means you float automatically when you enter the water. No swimming ability is required. The buoyancy is so strong that sitting is enough to stay suspended.

How long does the tour take from pickup to drop-off?

The tour runs four to five hours total, including the drive from San Pedro de Atacama, time at both lagoons and the return to your hotel.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle, snacks, all landing and facility fees, and a live guide who speaks English or Spanish.

What is Tebenquiche Lagoon?

Tebenquiche Lagoon is a vast, shallow lagoon a few meters from Cejar where you can also float. It's known for its panoramic views and the intensity of colors reflected in the still water, especially at sunset, and it supports an ecosystem of birds, foxes and flamingos.