Laguna Miscanti and its smaller neighbour Laguna Miñiques lie at about 4,100 metres in the Chilean Altiplano, among the high volcanoes of the Atacama, and they are some of the most beautiful lakes in northern Chile. The water is an intense deep blue, set against pale shores and dark, bare hills, with the cone of Cerro Miscanti rising to more than five thousand metres behind. The lakes are part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve, and their position, high on the plateau with nothing between them and the sky, gives them a stark, strange beauty that is hard to forget.
The road to them leaves the highway near Socaire and climbs on a mix of paved and gravel surface, in decent condition though subject to washboard and the occasional drift of sand. The gradient is gentle, but the altitude is the real challenge, and the thin air saps the power of a motorcycle and the energy of a rider. Mornings are clear and cold, with frost on the ground, while afternoons bring wind that can whip up dust and chill the lake into ripples. In summer, from December to March, afternoon storms can bring brief rain and even hail to the high ground.
The reserve typically charges an entrance fee, and rangers will tell you what is allowed, so follow their advice and stay on the tracks. Do not swim, and do not go near the water's edge if the ground looks soft. The lake edges can be fragile, and the birds are easily disturbed.
The lagoons are a haven for wildlife. Flamingos feed in the shallows, vicuñas graze on the grassy slopes, and the Andean fox hunts across the plain. You may also see the large, fast-running rhea-like bird known as the suri, and if you are lucky, a flash of Andean gull or a duck. The silence is broken only by wind and the occasional cry of a bird. Breathe slowly, take a few pictures and then sit for a while. At this height and in this light, the world feels very clean.