# Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar, Chile: what it is and when to go

> Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar is a protected area in Chile (Toconao). Interests: Nature and Wildlife. The best time to visit is October to April. In December there are 13 h 26 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 34. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Chile: one to enjoy at a calmer pace. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip.

- Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/sitio-ramsar-sistema-hidrologico-de-soncor-del-salar-de-atac/
- Reviewed on: 2026-10-08
- Language: en

## In a nutshell

- **What it is:** Protected area · Nature, Wildlife
- **Where:** Chile · San Pedro de Atacama
- **Best time:** October to April.
- **Nearest airport:** CJC Calama, 118 km as the crow flies
- **Run by:** Conaf
- **Coordinates:** -23.30655, -68.16038

## What it is and where

Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar is a protected area in Chile (Toconao). It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Chile: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

67.133 hectáreas protegidas que albergan 4 lagunas salobres y permanentes con una profundidad de no más de 1.5 metros, además del sector oriente de la cuenca del salar de Atacama y matorrales desérticos a una altitud media de 2300 msnm.

It is in [Toconao](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/toconao/), where this site lists 10 more places to see, 20 km from the centre.

Its coordinates are -23.30655, -68.16038; the nearest main airport is El Loa Airport (CJC, Calama), 118 km as the crow flies. How to get around Chile (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse).

- [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=-23.306554%2C-68.160376)
- [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-23.306554%2C-68.160376)

- **Run by:** Conaf

It is one of the [Nature](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/naturaleza/) and [Wildlife](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/fauna/) places in Chile. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap.

## When to go

The best time to visit Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar is **October to April**.

| Mes | Época | Hours of daylight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| January | Best time | 13 h 17 |
| February | Best time | 12 h 47 |
| March | Best time | 12 h 10 |
| April | Best time | 11 h 27 |
| May | Possible | 10 h 53 |
| June | Possible | 10 h 34 |
| July | Possible | 10 h 42 |
| August | Possible | 11 h 11 |
| September | Possible | 11 h 52 |
| October | Best time | 12 h 33 |
| November | Best time | 13 h 09 |
| December | Best time | 13 h 26 |

In December there are 13 h 26 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 34. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather.

| What you come for | Best time | Possible |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nature | October to April | May to September |
| Wildlife | October to April | May to September |

It is not the same trip whatever you come for: Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar has a different season depending on what you want to do here, and [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) puts it in the right month for you.

When to go to Chile in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#cuando-ir).

## Before you go to Chile

To enter Chile there are 8 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Book domestic flights and Torres del Paine places”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Chile checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Chilean peso (CLP); plugs: Type C and L · 220 V · 50 Hz (the Spanish two-pin plug usually works); emergencies: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire brigade.

In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it.

## What is nearby

- [Iglesia de San Lucas, Toconao](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/iglesia-de-san-lucas/): Temples · 20 km
- [Laguna Tebenquiche](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/tebenquiche-lagoon/): Protected area · 21 km
- [Tulor](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/aldea-de-tulor/): Archaeological site in Antofagasta Region, Chile · 39 km
- [Tumisa](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/cerro-tumisa/): Mountain in Chile · 40 km
- [Valle de la Luna](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/santuario-de-la-naturaleza-valle-de-la-luna-y-sierra-de-orba/): Geographical feature in Chile · 43 km

Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/).

## More in Chile: Nature

- [Ojos del Salado](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/ojos-del-salado/): highest volcano in the world
- [Llullaillaco](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/volcan-llullaillaco/): stratovolcano in Chile and Argentina
- [Beagle Channel](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/canal-beagle/): strait of Chile and Argentina
- [Atacama Large Millimeter Array](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/atacama-large-millimeter-array-science-preserve/): 66 radio telescopes in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile
- [Copahue](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/copahue/): stratovolcano nestled on the border between Argentina and Chile
- [Fitz Roy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/monte-fitz-roy/): mountain of Chile - argentina

Every Chile place under Nature, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/naturaleza/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar?

It is a protected area in Chile. It has an article in one Wikipedia, so it is not one of the busiest places in Chile: one to enjoy at a calmer pace.

### When is the best time to visit Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar?

October to April. In December there are 13 h 26 of daylight, and in June, 10 h 34.

### How do you get to Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar?

The nearest main airport is El Loa Airport (CJC), 118 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=-23.306554%2C-68.160376) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Chile is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/#moverse).

### How do I add it to my trip?

With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Chile map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby.

### What else is around here?

Nearby you have [Iglesia de San Lucas, Toconao](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/iglesia-de-san-lucas/), [Laguna Tebenquiche](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/tebenquiche-lagoon/), [Tulor](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/aldea-de-tulor/). The rest is in [the Chile guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/america/chile/).

Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1025992945), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104904478), CC0. More about Soncor hydrological system in Salar de Atacamar on [Wikipedia](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistema_hidrol%C3%B3gico_de_Soncor). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).