Licancabur Volcano

The Licancabur, the "mountain of the people" of the Atacameños or Cunzas, was venerated as "Tata Maico Licán". This perfect stone cone was one of the sacred altars chosen by these cultures.

There is a legend that points out the mystical wedding between the Licancabur and the Quimal hill, which took place during the solstice, when the shadow of the Licancabur covered the Quimal hill.

In its crater the priests would light large bonfires to communicate with the other high altitude sanctuaries in the area.

Located on the geographic border between Chile and Bolivia, it offers its snow-capped peaks to visitors who can hike from the base camp located at 4300 metres above sea level and also from an intermediate camp located at 4700 metres. Because of its iconic shape and its enormous height of almost 6,000 metres, it can be seen from far away in the Atacama Desert.

In its crater, it contains the highest lagoon in the world with a temperature of 6°C. Due to its altitude, the climate is very harsh so there is an absence of flora and you will only find planktonic fauna.

It is located 60 kilometres east of San Pedro de Atacama and from its summit you can see the San Pedro oasis, the Atacama salt flat and the Laguna Verde of Bolivia.