- Address: occupies the border areas of Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina;
- It was formed: about 10 million years ago;
- Height: 4000 m above sea level.
Nature did not deprive Chile of beauty, so in which corner of the country tourists would not go, they are waiting for amazing places. Some of them are located high above the sea level, like the Altiplano plateau. It is the second largest mountain plateau on earth. Its size is so large that if you look at where Altiplano is on the map, you can see that the territory is divided between Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.
Anyone who first sees the Altiplano, can imagine what the planet looked like before the appearance of a person on it, the plateau is entirely covered with volcanoes and surrounded by mountains. From the severe beauty of the place is breathtaking and the heart begins to beat faster.
Features of the Altiplano plateau
In Spanish, the name of the plateau is translated as a high plane. It was formed many centuries ago, when two plates collided: Pacific and South American. This gave rise to countless erupting volcanoes and craters, especially in the southern part of the plateau. At their base, once stretched the lake, and now in its place gushing mud geysers.
Tourists come to see not only the landscape Altiplano, but also see its two main attractions - Lake Titicaca and the salt desert of Uyuni . For the rest of the plateau, few people decide to wander, because its terrain is scorched and inhospitable land. But the plant world of the plateau is represented by enduring species, which can not be found anywhere else. There are also many representatives of the kingdom of fauna, vicuña, llamas, alpacas, foxes adapted to such severe conditions. When traveling on a plateau, you can meet them in huge numbers.
The territory is characterized by the fact that in the bowels geological processes continue to occur, causing a variety of natural resources on the surface. The plateau of Altiplano is rich in zinc, silver, lead, deposits of natural gas and oil. Once here there were works on extraction of silver ore, which was sent to Spain. The twentieth century was characterized for the plateau by the discovery of a deposit of tin.
What should I look for?
When you visit the Altiplano plateau, you should pay attention to the shade of the land, which has an unusual cool bluish tone. This is due to the fact that once the whole plateau was covered with water, the evaporation of which left many traces on the plateau. In the part that belongs to Chile, there are many active volcanoes, which is why the territory is often shaken by earthquakes.
How to get to Altiplano?
To visit the plateau, you first need to get to the city of San Pedro de Atacama . It is important to have a Bolivian visa, since most of the plateau is located on the territory of this country. Having permission to enter, you will be able to visit a six-day tour covering all interesting places Altiplano.