The Rio Lauca is a binational watercourse of the Andean altiplano. It originates in Chile, in the Cotacotani lagoon within Lauca National Park, and crosses the Bolivian border at Macaya, at 3892 meters elevation, before emptying into Lake Coipasa. On the Bolivian side, the river flows through a landscape of bofedales (high-altitude marshes), volcanoes, and wetlands rarely visited by mass tourism.

Why visit the Rio Lauca

The Bolivian portion of the Rio Lauca attracts primarily travelers interested in the vast expanses of the southern altiplano, away from the classic Salar de Uyuni circuits. The watercourse connects two remarkable areas: Lauca National Park in Chile and the Salar de Coipasa basin in Bolivia. Between the two, the altiplano unfolds with grassy steppes, brackish lagoons, and volcanic cones exceeding 6000 meters.

For travelers, the appeal lies in the combination of high-altitude wildlife (vicuñas, guanacos, pink flamingos, migratory birds) and distinctive mineral landscapes, shaped by the Parinacota and Guallatiri volcanoes that punctuate the course. It is also ground for understanding water geopolitics in this Andean region.

Geography and course

The Rio Lauca originates in the Cotacotani lagoon, in the Chilean province of Parinacota, within Lauca National Park. Its watershed covers approximately 2350 km² and its total course reaches nearly 225 km. The river first flows westward, strikes the Cordillera, turns south then east, to cross the Bolivian border at Macaya, at 3892 meters.

On the Bolivian side, the Lauca receives waters from the Rio Sajama and Rio Cipasa. Its average flow increases from approximately 2.6 m³/s at the border to nearly 8 m³/s after confluence, before emptying into Lake Coipasa, at the edge of the salar of the same name. Lake Chungara, on the Chilean side, forms a wetland associated with the Lauca hydrological system.

The banks are occupied by bofedales, these high-altitude peatlands essential for grazing Andean camelids by Aymara communities. At this altitude, we speak more of puna steppe and humid grasslands than forests.

History: the Lauca Canal dispute

The Rio Lauca holds a particular place in diplomatic history between Chile and Bolivia. As early as 1939, La Paz contested Chilean water diversion projects. Work on the Lauca Canal began nonetheless in 1948. At 33 km long with a capacity of 1.9 m³/s, the canal diverts part of the waters from a dam located approximately 25 km southwest of the Cotacotani lagoon toward the Azapa valley, on the Chilean Pacific slope.

Its commissioning in 1962 provoked a diplomatic crisis: Bolivia reproached Chile for unilaterally altering the course of an international river. Santiago responded that the withdrawals did not significantly reduce transboundary flow. Tensions persisted into the 1960s and added to the historical dispute over Bolivia's access to the sea.

At the canal's end, the Chapiquiña hydroelectric power plant produces around 56 GWh/year with an installed capacity of approximately 6.4 MW.

What to see and do

High-altitude wildlife

The Lauca basin, on both sides of the border, is one of the best places in the Andes to observe vicuñas and guanacos in the wild. The wetlands welcome the three South American flamingo species (Chilean, Andean, James's) as well as numerous migratory birds.

The Parinacota and Guallatiri volcanoes

The regular cone of Parinacota (6342 m) and the still-active Guallatiri dominate the upper course of the Lauca. They are visible from the road between Sajama and the Chilean border.

The bofedales and Lake Coipasa

On the Bolivian side, the journey naturally extends toward the bofedales of Sajama Park then toward the salar and Lake Coipasa, where the Lauca's course ends. These white expanses receive few visitors compared to the nearby Salar de Uyuni.

When to go

The altiplano experiences two distinct seasons. The dry season, from May to October, offers clear skies, cold nights (often below freezing) and sunny days: this is the most favorable period for travel, with tracks remaining passable. The wet season, from December to March, brings afternoon thunderstorms and can render certain tracks impassable, but this is when the bofedales are greenest and wildlife most active.

Altitude remains a central factor: temperatures can drop sharply after sunset, regardless of season.

Practical information

• Altitude: between 3800 and 4500 m on the Bolivian portion. Plan for prior acclimatization of at least two to three days (La Paz, Oruro, or Sajama).
• Equipment: warm clothing, windbreaker, high sun protection, sunglasses, plenty of water.
• Accommodation: very limited along the Lauca route. Logical bases are Sajama village on the Bolivian side and Putre on the Chilean side.
• Duration of visit: plan two to three days to comfortably explore the Sajama-border-Lake Coipasa zone.
• Connectivity: telephone network very intermittent, plan for complete self-sufficiency.

How to get there

From La Paz, the most direct route passes through Patacamaya then turns toward Sajama National Park, approximately 4 to 5 hours away by road. From Sajama, tracks lead to Macaya and the Lauca border sector, accessible only by 4x4. A local driver or specialized agency is highly recommended: signage is nonexistent and tracks poorly marked.

From Oruro, access to Lake Coipasa, the endpoint of the Lauca, is via the road toward Sabaya, approximately 5 hours.

Nearby attractions

• Sajama National Park, which harbors Bolivia's highest summit and feeds the Lauca via the Rio Sajama.
• Salar and Lake Coipasa, where the Lauca's course ends.
• Salar de Uyuni, a few hours further south, to extend the altiplano itinerary.
• On the Chilean side, Lauca National Park and Lake Chungara, accessible via the Tambo Quemado border post.

Frequently asked questions

Preparing your trip

The Rio Lauca naturally fits into a southern altiplano itinerary including the mineral landscape of the Valley of the Moon near La Paz, or a detour through the Cerro Rico mines in Potosí. To build a coherent journey around Bolivia's high plateaus, consult our circuits in Bolivia.