Laguna Miñiques – The Ultimate Retreat for Soulful Travelers
Tauheed Ahmad Nawaz
Laguna Miñiques is a lake and volcano in Chile. This area is located south of Laguna Miscanti and near Cerro Miscanti. Seepage from Laguna Miscanti feeds the lake, which has brackish waters.
There are cladocerans Alona pulchella and Daphnia in the lake, copepods Boeckella poopoensis, as well as unidentified cyclopoid species. There are some magnificent and picturesque surroundings in this area. The opportunity to observe wild birds and vicuñas in their natural habitat is an absolute delight.
When traveling from San Pedro De Atacama, be prepared for high altitudes. Tourists visit the lake because it is located within the Los Flamencos National Reserve. The climate in the region is dry, affected by the Atacama Desert in that regard. Western Cordillera summits, particularly Parinacota in the north, have higher precipitation amounts.
Due to the dry climate, glaciers are less likely to develop than terrain influenced by periglacial processes. Currently, Laguna Miñiques receives 7.1 inches of rain per year and averages 2°C (36°F) in temperature.
As precipitation increased during the Pleistocene and early Holocene, glaciers advanced and lakes grew. In the case of Laguna Miñiques, the lakes Miscanti and Pampa Varela (now a dry lake) became connected. Lake Miscanti has a heart-shaped shape and is 13.5 square kilometers in size. It is surrounded by a fault basin, and it has a deep blue color.
You may catch a glimpse of beautiful turquoise lakes under snow-capped volcanoes and blue skies if you are lucky.It’s stunning.There were very few people who visited an hour later who did not see snow, a volcano, or blue skies since the weather had closed in.It seems that rain only occurs here in late January and early February.
There is no doubt that any tourist visiting San Pedro De Atacama would benefit greatly from exploring these two lagoons. There’s no better place to be for someone who loves nature deeply than Laguna Miñiques.