Laguna del Carbón is a remarkable salt lake located in the Corpen Aike Department of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, approximately 54 kilometers (34 miles) from the town of Puerto San Julián. Sitting within the Gran Bajo de San Julián — a vast endorheic basin positioned between San Julián Bay and the Río Chico — this lake holds the extraordinary distinction of being the lowest point in the entire Western and Southern Hemispheres, resting at 105 meters (344 feet) below sea level. It is also recognized as the seventh-lowest point on Earth. The lake measures approximately 5 kilometers in length and 2 kilometers in width, covering a surface area of roughly 9 square kilometers. As an endorheic basin, no water flows out to the ocean; instead, water loss occurs entirely through evaporation, which has concentrated salts over geological time to create a highly saline environment. The surrounding Patagonian landscape is stark and windswept, characterized by salt-tolerant halophytic vegetation adapted to the extreme conditions of this depression.