Because this is on of the top Google results on this topic, I think a reply is called for, because it maybe saves someone from the terrible mistake of actually trying to go to the Lampa/Batuco area.
I landed today at 3 pm - while I do not leave today, this afternoon is a good simulation of a 7hour stopover. First of all, getting out of the plane and getting the car took about an hour, because of ...South American efficiency I guess. At every place when you rent a car on this continent, you inevitably observe the guy enter all your details, that you have already provided online, into his computer and then juggling a heap of papers. Then the site itself is further than it seems, in particular when you make any mistake on the completely unsignposted highway junctions, you lose 20 minutes trying to get back on track. Don't think that navigation will save you, mine has the junctions wrong. Then the roads close to Lampa are full of speedbumps and Chileans apparently love their suspension more than their children. Also don't count on anyone having functional brake lights when we are at it.
Then the biggest problem is the inaccessibility of the sites. Only the Puente Negro site is near a road - which is good for accessibility but not so good for the site, because it's terribly noisy and basically a garbage dump. It is probably better in wetter periods when the water extends further from the road in the southward direction, where you can easily work, but today it gets dry after maybe 100 meters. The derelict observation platform overlooking a lot of sun-dried grass also hints that this site does see wetter times, but that is definitely not today.
From the other sites, I was able to access exactly none until it got dark. Inevitably, I always reached a fence, a gate or a no-entry sign at every attempt to reach some "ebird hotspot", despite there actually being signs to the reserves and despite asking locals for directions repeatedly. Having just the GPS coordinates of the places is utterly useless.
This all put together makes this area really bad for a visit with limited time. Maybe if you have a week you can try walking all the small footpaths in the area and you will be able to finally see a significant marsh, but to do that withing an afternoon, you would have to be a genius or have a luck potion - in the second case maybe lottery is a better use of that though. Not to mention that you might get hungry on your way back and try to grab a hotdog on a petrol station, falsely thinking that it maybe a fast option and end up just throwing the already paid ticket that was supposed to give you the food to the cooks face after 20 minutes and leaving angrily and hungrily. Hooray for South America again!
Honestly, this afternoon was maybe the second most disappointing 7 hours of my life. Next time I feel the need to burn 50 dollars uselessly, I will do better by doing that literally instead. At least then I can then take the rest of the afternoon off to play with the ashes. That idea actually seems now more attractive to me than going anywhere near Lampa ever again.
