The Stone Lagoon (Laguna Piedra) at 2,400 meters (8,000 ft) above sea level, the Salar de Atacama, the Atacama Desert, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.
Image by ER’s Eyes – Our planet is so beautiful.
People are not actually allowed to get into Laguna Cejar’s waters.
Instead, tour agency took us to the adjacent Laguna Piedra, where we could brave the high altitude cold and get into the lukewarm water. We found a current of warm water (heated by the thermal springs), it was actually not uncomfortable.
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These ponds have a very high salt content, about 33%, far above what we find in the sea, so when entering the water in the water you do not have to make the minimum effort to float. It’s the same thing that happens in the Dead Sea, the giant saltwater lake in the Middle East.
You can enter this pond even if you can not swim, as soon as your body is in the water, you will already be floating. In ponds like this you should not dive headfirst. It is also good to avoid wetting the face, especially the eyes and mouth, due to excess salt that can be harmful.
The water in the pond is cold and hot, and this causes some people to give up bathing in it. We go in and we can ensure that after a few seconds in the water you get used to it and the temperature difference is no longer a nuisance.
The bath is refreshing, especially if you are doing a very hot afternoon like the one on the day of our tour. And the float makes the bath more fun and also relaxing, as we do not have to make any effort to stay in the water.
