El Tatio Geysers
photo by Robin Fernandes

Quick facts

Largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere and third largest geyser field in the world.

Average height of geyser eruptions is about 75 centimeters.

Over 80 active geysers.

General

El Tatio, (The Grandfather) is the largest geyser field in the southern hemisphere with more than eighty active geysers. That distinction belonged to the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand until many of the geysers on that island were destroyed by a combination of man’s intervention and natural occurrences. The best time to see them is at sunrise when you can see the steam rising from the geysers and you can even bathe in the hot geyser water. Be careful, as parts of the field are very dangerous with only thin crust over almost boiling mud so ask your guide where you may go.

The geysers are not the only attraction here, but the whole scenery is quite amazing: the combination of the geysers, the pools that have formed here and because the geyser field is set among a group of active volcanoes. All of these together, make it a popular tourist attraction. It was named one of the seven wonders of South America.

Although difficult to reach, El Tatio is a place of great beauty and is an incredible sight to see firsthand.

Contact & location

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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:

Robin Fernandes, Ginnia Moroni, Michael Tyler, Vera & Jean-Christophe, Phil Whitehouse

Some photos courtesy of: . The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.

This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at WikitravelView full credits

This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at WikipediaView full credits

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