Located 100 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama, at 3,300 meters above sea level, this is the last village the tourist encounter as they cross over to Salta- Argentina through the Sico passage way. In the past, Socaire was an important village for its gold mines located near the border. Today, it is known for its typical Atacamanean cuisine ...

This village of pre-Hispanic origin is divided in three areas: the hamlet area, the terrace cultivation area, and the village area. Socaire has a population of about 380 people, whose main source of work is agricultural (which is decreasing and restricted to personal consumption, due to the water shortage from the Socaire River), and non-metal mining. 

With regard to the construction, Socaire's old houses were small, without windows, one bedroom, and built out of stone with by clay. In the center of the village there is a small square with two churches, one of them recently built, and the oldest one dates back to the colonial period.

Another tourist attraction site are the Miscanti and Miñique Lagoons, 26 kilometers away and belonging to Los Flamencos National Reserve. From here you can see the Miscanti and Miñique hills and these two beautiful intense blue lagoons, where the horned coot (tagua cornuda) and other aquatic birds lay their eggs.