The Salar de Maricunga is a remarkable high-altitude salt flat located within the Atacama Region of northern Chile, situated inside Nevado Tres Cruces National Park at elevations exceeding 4,000 meters above sea level. This remote and otherworldly landscape — where the brilliant white of salt crusts reflects the deep blue of the Andean sky in shallow lagoon waters — is one of the most extreme and visually stunning environments in South America. It represents the southernmost major salt deposit in Chile and is recognized as a critical habitat for Andean and Chilean flamingo populations, with CONAF actively monitoring over a thousand flamingo chicks in the lagoons of the salar. The area holds deep cultural significance for the Colla indigenous people, who have inhabited and depended upon this high-altitude ecosystem for generations.