Laguna Cejar Tour: Float in a 28% Salt Lagoon Near San Pedro de Atacama
The Laguna Cejar tour floats you in a sinkhole lake inside the Salar de Atacama where salt concentration reaches 28 percent, dense enough that your body rests on the surface without any effort to stay up. The lagoon sits about 18 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, close enough that most departures run in the afternoon and still make it back before dark. This four-hour trip pairs the float with two more stops: Ojos del Salar, a pair of freshwater sinkholes deep enough that their bottoms disappear from view, and Laguna Tebenquiche, where the tour ends with a snack and a drink as the salt flat turns pink and gold at sunset. At $38 per person with a 4.6-star rating from 47 reviews, it is one of the more affordable picks among the salt lagoon tours in the Atacama Desert near San Pedro. Below: the stop-by-stop route, what the entrance fee costs, and the swimming rules that protect the lagoon.
Tour At a Glance
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before: full refund
Reserve your spot now and pay nothing today
4 hours: afternoon departure timed to catch sunset at Laguna Tebenquiche
Included from your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama
Small group format: shared van, guide narrates the drive between stops
Laguna Cejar entrance (15,000 to 20,000 CLP, about $16 to $22) paid on-site in cash: not included, one of the pricier reserve fees in the region
Check Live Availability & Prices
Why Laguna Cejar Is the Easiest Salt Lagoon Float Near San Pedro
Laguna Cejar earns its popularity from distance and price, not obscurity. At roughly 18 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, it sits far closer to town than the Baltinache lagoons, which means a shorter drive and a lower price: this tour runs $38 per person against $71 for the Baltinache and Magic Bus route. The tradeoff is company. Cejar draws bigger crowds than Baltinache because it is easier to reach and has been a fixture on Atacama itineraries for longer.
The lagoon itself is a sinkhole inside the Salar de Atacama, the vast salt flat that surrounds San Pedro. Salt concentration reaches 28 percent, close to the levels that make the Dead Sea famous for the same effortless float. Step in past your waist and your feet leave the bottom on their own. For a quieter version of the same salt-water experience with far fewer other swimmers, the Baltinache lagoons and Magic Bus tour covers seven hidden pools deeper in the Cordillera de la Sal, at a higher price and a longer drive.
What You Will See on the Laguna Cejar Tour
The route covers three stops inside the Salar de Atacama basin, each built around water in a landscape defined by salt:
- Laguna Cejar: a sinkhole lake with salt concentration up to 28 percent, where you float without kicking or treading water
- Ojos del Salar: two freshwater sinkholes close enough together to visit both, their true depth still not fully measured
- On-site showers at the Cejar entrance: rinse the salt off before getting back in the van
- Laguna Tebenquiche: the sunset stop, where the flat salt surface reflects the sky in pink and gold as the sun drops
- A snack and a drink served at Tebenquiche as the light changes over the Salar de Atacama
- Andean volcanoes on the horizon in every direction, visible across the open salt flat from all three stops
What Is Included and What Is Not
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Round-trip transport from your San Pedro de Atacama hotel | Laguna Cejar entrance fee (15,000 to 20,000 CLP, cash only) |
| English-speaking guide for the full four hours | Swimwear and towel |
| Stops at Laguna Cejar, Ojos del Salar, and Laguna Tebenquiche | Sunscreen applied before swimming (not allowed at the lagoon) |
| Snack and drink at the Tebenquiche sunset stop | Gratuities for your guide |
How the Laguna Cejar Tour Unfolds
-
2:30 PM
Hotel pickup in San Pedro de Atacama
Your guide collects you from your accommodation. Exact pickup time is confirmed the day before and shifts slightly by season.
-
3:00 PM
Arrival at Laguna Cejar
Pay the entrance fee in cash at the reserve gate, change at the on-site facilities, and walk down to the lagoon edge.
-
3:15 PM
Float in Laguna Cejar
About an hour in the water. The 28 percent salt concentration keeps you on the surface without any effort to stay afloat.
-
4:15 PM
Rinse and drive to Ojos del Salar
Shower off the salt at the on-site facilities before a short transfer to the two freshwater sinkholes.
-
4:35 PM
Ojos del Salar
Time at both sinkhole "eyes", freshwater pools with no measured bottom, ringed by a raised salt crust walkway.
-
5:15 PM
Drive to Laguna Tebenquiche
A longer transfer across the salt flat, timed so the group arrives with enough light left for photos before sunset.
-
5:30 PM
Sunset at Laguna Tebenquiche
A snack and a drink while the flat salt surface reflects the sky as it turns pink and gold over the Andes.
-
6:45 PM
Return to San Pedro de Atacama
Drop-off back at your hotel, typically arriving around 7:00 PM.
Important Things to Know Before You Book
Not suitable for travelers who cannot handle direct sun and wind with no shade at any of the three stops, or for anyone who needs to keep an open wound out of salt water. The float itself takes no swimming skill: salinity does the work, and the water rarely rises above chest height in the areas marked for visitors.
- What to bring: swimsuit worn under your clothes, a towel, flip-flops for the salt-crusted lagoon edge, and cash in Chilean pesos for the entrance fee
- What to bring: a light jacket for the drive between stops, since the wind picks up once the sun starts to drop at Tebenquiche
- Not allowed: sunscreen before swimming. Laguna Cejar sits inside a protected reserve and sunscreen residue pollutes the water; apply it only after you rinse off at the showers
- Not allowed: putting your head underwater. Salt at this concentration stings on contact with your eyes, so keep your face above the surface the whole time you float
- Not suitable for travelers with open cuts or recent piercings: the high salinity irritates broken skin
- The lagoon sits at about 2,300 meters, low enough that this tour works well on your first or second day in San Pedro before you have fully acclimatized
Where Laguna Cejar Is
Who Is the Laguna Cejar Tour Best For?
This tour suits travelers who want the salt-lagoon float without giving up a half or full day to reach it. Because Cejar sits closer to San Pedro than Baltinache or the altiplano lagoons, it fits easily into an afternoon alongside a morning tour earlier the same day. It ranks sixth on the list of the best things to do in the Atacama Desert, just behind the higher-altitude geyser and lagoon circuits that need a full day of their own.
- First-time visitors who want a salt-water float without the extra drive time or cost of Baltinache
- Travelers on their first or second day in San Pedro, since the low altitude here works well before acclimatizing
- Anyone who wants a sunset stop built into the tour: Tebenquiche closes out the afternoon with a snack and a drink
- Photographers who want the Salar de Atacama's flat salt crust and Andean volcano backdrop without the crowds at Valle de la Luna
- Not ideal for travelers seeking solitude: Cejar draws more visitors than Baltinache because it sits closer to town
Questions About the Laguna Cejar Tour
What is the salt concentration in Laguna Cejar?
Salt concentration in Laguna Cejar reaches about 28 percent, close to the levels that keep swimmers afloat at the Dead Sea. Step past waist depth and your feet lift off the bottom without any kicking. No swimming skill is required; the water does the work.
How much does the Laguna Cejar entrance fee cost?
The Laguna Cejar entrance fee runs about 15,000 to 20,000 Chilean pesos, roughly $16 to $22, paid in cash on-site and not included in the tour price. It is one of the pricier reserve fees in the region; the breakdown of what an Atacama Desert trip costs covers entrance fees, tours, and lodging together.
Can I put my head underwater in Laguna Cejar?
No. The 28 percent salt concentration stings on contact with your eyes, so guides ask everyone to keep their face above the surface the entire time they float. If salt water does get in your eyes, rinse immediately at the on-site showers before continuing the tour.
Can I wear sunscreen before swimming at Laguna Cejar?
No. Laguna Cejar sits inside a protected reserve, and sunscreen residue pollutes the lagoon, so applying it before you swim is not allowed. Rinse off at the on-site showers first, then apply sunscreen afterward for the rest of the afternoon at Ojos del Salar and Tebenquiche.
Is the Laguna Cejar tour good for my first day in San Pedro de Atacama?
Yes. Laguna Cejar sits at about 2,300 meters, lower than El Tatio or the Piedras Rojas circuit, so it works well while your body is still adjusting to the altitude. Save the higher geyser and altiplano lagoon tours for day two or later in your trip.
How does the Laguna Cejar tour compare to the Baltinache lagoons?
Laguna Cejar sits about 18 kilometers from San Pedro and costs less at $38 per person, but draws bigger crowds since it is easier to reach. Baltinache runs $71, sits deeper in the Cordillera de la Sal, and stays quieter. Pick Cejar for convenience and price, Baltinache for solitude.
What Travelers Say About the Laguna Cejar Tour
Great tour guide! He was very fun and knowledgeable. There were snacks right before we went to the lagoon, which was a nice, welcome surprise. The lagoon itself was a lot of fun: because of the salt levels you really float, so not knowing how to swim shouldn't be a problem. Drowning there seems impossible. Highly recommend!
The whole tour was quite nice. The clear highlight was the guide. Daniel was full of information and energy. He gave clear and concise safety instructions in English along with interesting biological and historical information. A good tour for a relaxing afternoon.
I liked it, but I thought it would be different than what I expected. The guide was very knowledgeable, fun, and informative. The water was lovely and cold, and the tour was well organized.