Laguna Colorada, Bolivia. Also known as the red lagoon, the shallow salt lake lies in southwest Bolivia, on the border of Chile. It is found in the beautiful Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, which fascinates with amazing landscapes, fauna, flora and is a tourist attraction in the country.
The amazing bloody red coloration is caused by red sediments and algae in the water. The lake is found on the Altiplano plateau, in the Andes mountain range, which is seen in the horizon. The lake also attracts the James’, Chilean and Andean flamingos, the latter being the rarest flamingo species in the world.
Laguna Colorada is easy to access. The area is surrounded with small villages, where you can spend the night. The spot can be visited as part of the Andes tour. Another famous location – the salt flat De Uyuni – lies not far away.
Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) is a shallow salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia,The Laguna Verde covers an area of 60 km2, and a narrow causeway divides it into two parts. It is at the southwestern extremity of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and Bolivia itself. It has mineral suspensions of arsenic and other minerals which renders colour to the lake waters. Its color varies from turquoise to dark emerald depending on the disturbance caused to sediments in the lake by winds.
In the backdrop of the lake there is the inactive volcano Licancabur of 5,868 metres in elevation, which is a nearly perfect cone. It is believed that an ancient crypt used to be at its peak.
Icy winds are a common phenomenon here and lake waters can attain temperatures as low as -56 degree C but because of its chemical composition its waters still remain in a liquid state. It is 30 km far from Palques Lake .
this shallow, red-tinted salt lake is a common gathering spot for flocks of flamingos (most prominently James's flamingos, but also sometimes Andean and Chilean flamingos).
The lake's natural red color comes from the reddish pigment of the algae that live there
The lake contains borax islands, whose white color contrasts with the reddish color of its waters, which is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.
Laguna Colorada is part of the Los Lípez (formerly Laguna Colorada) Ramsar wetland. It was listed as a "Ramsar Wetland of International Importance" in 1990. On, July 13, 2009 the site was expanded from 513.18 to 14,277.17 km2 to include the surrounding high Andean endorheic, hypersaline and brackish lakes and associated wetlands (known as bofedales).
James's flamingos abound in the area. Also it is possible to find Andean and Chilean flamingos, but in a minor quantity.
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