This was a beautiful place, with many species of birds, as well as vicuñas and llamas. A big improvement would have to be keeping the area clean of garbage, and especially telling tourists and putting up signs about disposing of garbage in bins AND NOT THE GROUND OR THE ROAD. It would also be beneficial to put up signs letting tourists know where they can and cannot walk. We saw some tour groups just walking over the bofedales and going right toward the lake, scaring llamas and birds away with their loud voices. Definitely an excellent place to visit, but lets let CONAF and the people in the area know that the whole idea is to respect the wildlife and keep it in tact! Flora and Fauna first!
Come in the morning and seek out a spot from where the volcano is reflected in part of the lake that is clear water and not covered with weed. And watch the beautiful birds (most of them are fairly shy so bring good binoculars).
It was really pretty!! We spent a few days traveling in the area and trully loved seeing everything there. You can get a pretty good view from the bus if you are heading to La Paz, but it was nice to have time to stop the car and walk around.
I liked everything, and learned so much from Aurelio Blas ( cel 7 492 6303), a local guide that has lived in Putre since he was young, and knows the area, the mountains, the animals, the plants.
Call at the CONAF office where they will provide you (free!) with an audiovisual tour of the nature walk by the lke with ideitfictions of the birds and other animals.
We went here on an excursion from the cruise port in Arica. It akes over three hours to get there, we stopped several times to shop/pee/photos. There are some nice hadmade items cheap available for purchase. This is the only road to the port from Boliva and has been the site of many fatal wrecks as noted by the roadside shrines and cargo boxes down the hill. When we got to the lake it had a stunning view and lots of birdlife including Flamingos, which was cool. It is at an altitude in excess of 14,000 feet. We both got splitting head aches that did not abate for many hours. There are some interesting looking things in the fertile river valley, but we did not stop there. We should have stayed in Arica, nice beachs and shopping, but did this instead. 10 hours total, nine on the bus.
That was the place I wanted to see most, after having seen it on every postcard or website! This is also an amazing place to visit :)
Starting the trip at sea level, the climb to Lago Chungara is very interesting. You can see the change in vegetation and the different towns on the way up. There are numerous mountains and volcanos in the area. The lake view is gorgeous and it's a great site to visit.
One of the most scenic places I have been to. Simply wonderful. The only problem is if you are not acclimatized enough you could not feel well in the visit, therefore the importance to stay one night in Putre before going up to Chungará.
The view, the wild animals along the road make the driving worth it. The road must be fixed, it´s not in good conditions. Many trucks make the driving a little complex-