Laguna Colorada (“Red Lagoon”) is located in the southwest of Bolivia, specifically in the province of Sud Lípez, in the department of Potosí. With a surface area of nearly 6,000 hectares and located at 4,300 metres above sea level, it is very close to the border with Chile.

It owes its name to the intense reddish colour of its waters, caused by mineral sediments and the natural pigments of certain algae that inhabit it. The lagoon is also an important flamingo habitat, hosting three of the six species that exist in the world. These birds are born with grey and white feathers, but acquire their characteristic pink colour thanks to a pigment called canthaxanthin, which contributes to the lagoon’s hue.

The image was captured by the Sentinel-2 satellite on 18 December 2024, using an optimised natural colour composition, which better highlights the lagoon’s chromatic intensity.

Image credits: Data Space Copernicus.