The lagoons of Cotacotani (in Aymara: quta-qutani, set of lagoons) are multiple lagoons located in the Andean highlands of the commune of Putre, Province of Parinacota, in the far east of the Region of Arica and Parinacota, Chile.
It is located 4 km northwest of Lake Chungará, being one of the highest in the world. It is surrounded by several snow-capped peaks, such as the Payachatas snow-capped mountains, made up of the Parinacota and Pomerape volcanoes, the snow-capped Sajama and the Guallatiri volcanoes.
The lagoons of Cotacotani are separated by volcanic rocks located in the Chungará and receive water from this lake in an underground form, but it is supplied mainly by the Desaguadero River.
Its main feature is the large number of islands and islets that are located in the lagoons, because these are protuberances of lava generated by the active volcanism of the area. With an area of 6 km², the lagoons have a volume of between 30 and 40 million cubic meters, which drain through the Lauca River to Lake Coipasa in Bolivia.
It is immersed in the Lauca National Park. Next to the lagoons are a series of bofedales, among which the bofedal of Parinacota stands out. The lagoons have a rich, unique and varied fauna with more than 130 native species, which include flamingos and ducks.
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