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Llamas and alpacas in Lauca National Park beneath Parinacota volcano

397 · Further Horizons

Lauca National Park

Altiplano lakes, volcanoes and high-country wildlife create a landscape where the great altitude is part of the experience.

Photographmtchm from - · CC BY-SA 2.0

Summary

Lauca National Park protects high Andean country in northern Chile. Lakes, volcanic peaks and altiplano habitats support distinctive wildlife in an environment strongly shaped by altitude.

The combination of open water and great volcanic forms gives the park its visual power. Wildlife and smaller upland details add a living scale beneath the immense mountain horizons.

301–400 · Further Horizons

The essentials

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Allow time

3 days as an initial allowance, excluding approach travel

Choose a base

Putre

Getting there

Travel inland from Arica to Putre, then continue towards Lauca and Lake Chungará. Build the high-altitude excursion around a Putre stay.

Plan ahead

Arrange transport with a driver familiar with the Altiplano and check road and park conditions. Leave flexibility for weather and a gradual approach to the elevation.

Practical notes updated 30 September 2026. Visitor information and sources

Chile · Nature
Country guidesChile
Open my 100Record a visit

The essential experience.

A detail that changes the visit

The elevation is substantial; keep weather, road conditions and a realistic ascent schedule central to planning.

Parinacota volcano and Chungará Lake, Chile
Parinacota volcano and Chungará Lake, ChilePhoto: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0

For the curious reader

History, landscape and context.

Lauca National Park is in Chile's Norte Grande (Far North), within the Andean range. It encompasses an area of 1,379 km² of altiplano and mountains, the latter consisting mainly of enormous volcanoes. Las Vicuñas National Reserve is its neighbour to the south.

Abridged background from Lauca National Park, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened; this adapted background remains under the same licence. Retrieved 23 September 2026. Source revision.

Lauca National Park with grazing alpacas at over 4000m
Lauca National Park with grazing alpacas at over 4000mPhoto: Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom · CC BY-SA 2.0
A Chilean flamingo at Chungará Lake
Chilean Flamingo at Chungara LakePhoto: Satdeep Gill · CC BY-SA 4.0

From inspiration to a practical plan

Plan your visit.

Physical demands
Very high-altitude walking, strong sun and cold conditions; even short trails can be demanding.
The consequential detail
The elevation is substantial; keep weather, road conditions and a realistic ascent schedule central to planning.
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Through the seasons

A place in the world.

Chile.

A place in the world
Lauca National Park location mapLauca National Park location map

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Map: Natural Earth
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In pictures.

Lauca’s high lakes gather beneath volcanoes across the open Altiplano.

Llamas and alpacas in Lauca National Park beneath Parinacota volcanoPhoto: mtchm from -, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lauca National Park with grazing alpacas at over 4000mPhoto: Alastair Rae from London, United Kingdom, CC BY-SA 2.0
Parinacota volcano and Chungará Lake, ChilePhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
A Chilean flamingo at Chungará LakePhoto: Satdeep Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0
Guanaco in Lauca National Park, ChilePhoto: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by A. Gutiérrez © Todos los derechos reservadosPhoto: Alejandro Gutiérrez from Concepción, Chile, CC BY 2.0
Parinacota Volcano beyond cushion plants in LaucaPhoto: Martin Mergili (BOKU University, Vienna), CC BY 3.0
Chungará Lake with Sajama Volcano beyondPhoto: Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), CC BY-SA 2.5
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Follow the connection

Keep exploring.

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Salt, stone and an exceptionally clear sense of distance.

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215 · Chile

Valparaíso

A city climbing from the Pacific

Useful links and further reading.

Choose a source for the job: official visitor information for access, the UNESCO record for the named property’s designation, and background or library resources for deeper reading.

Read · Wikipedia

Lauca National Park: background reading

Encyclopaedic context and its bibliography. Follow the cited research for a deeper examination of particular claims.

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Visit · Wikivoyage

Find travel information for Lauca National Park

A clearly labelled search of the community travel guide; check the page’s coverage and the age of practical details.

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Books · WorldCat

Find books about Lauca National Park

Search library holdings and editions, useful for finding specialist histories, field guides and works beyond a general travel guide.

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Maps · OpenStreetMap

Explore the local map

Inspect the surrounding area.

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Visitor information behind these practical notes