This salt lake 4300m above sea level becomes a white salt flat during the dry months of May to December. Its size and the amount of water in it vary each year depending on the weather. During the rainy season (January to May), it's a good place to see all three flamingo species found in Peru, as well as myriad other Andean waterbirds. It's located east of Arequipa below Pichu Pichu and El Misti.
Buses to Ubinas (S15, 3½ hours) pass by the lake and can be caught on Av Sepulveda in Arequipa, or from the corner of Jesús and Industrial Cayro in Arequipa at 4am from the Ana Express office. A small ticket booth on Av Sepulveda sells tickets, and schedules vary so it is a good idea to inquire a day before you wish to go. You can hike around the lake, which can take about two days, then return on the packed daily afternoon buses at around 3pm (expect to stand) or try to catch a lift with workers from the nearby mine. One-day minibus tours from Arequipa cost about S150 per person; mountain-biking tours are also available.
