Which red-colored lake in Bolivia is a popular tourist destination?

The red-colored Bolivian lake popular with visitors is Laguna Colorada. Its striking crimson, pink, and rust-colored water comes from a combination of mineral-rich sediments and pigments produced by salt-tolerant algae, especially Dunaliella salina.

Laguna Colorada is a shallow, hypersaline lake in Bolivia’s southwestern Altiplano, inside the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. At roughly 4,278 meters above sea level, it sits in an exceptionally high and dry landscape. White borax deposits form islands and shore features that contrast dramatically with the red water.

The lake is also an important habitat and breeding area for flamingos. James’s flamingos are especially abundant, while Andean and Chilean flamingos also occur there. The color is not permanent or uniform: sunlight, temperature, algae levels, and sediment can shift the lake from pale pink to deep red. Visitors commonly combine it with trips to Uyuni, but Laguna Verde is a separate nearby lake known for its green coloration.