SalardeUyuni/ Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia.
Geography:
Salar de Uyuni includes more than 12,000 sq. km of land in the Potosi region. In the dry season, the salt expanses are covered with dry, flat salt, but in the rainy season, the expanses are covered with a thin layer of water.
This site was created by the transformation of several prehistoric lakes. It is covered with salt crusts protruding to a height of several meters. They contain between 50 and 70 percent of the world's lithium reserves.
The Salar de Uyuni serves as the main transport route through the Bolivian Altiplano and is the main habitat for several species of pink flamingos.
Climate:
Salar de Uyuni is located in transitional climatic zones. Tropical, powerful cumulus clouds rise in the eastern part. In the western region, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert, dry weather prevails.
The area has a relatively stable temperature of 21°C in November-January and a minimum of 13°C in June. Nights, however, are cold throughout the year with temperatures ranging from -9 to 5°C. Relative humidity is quite low and constant throughout the year -30 - 45%. Precipitation is not heavy from April to November, but January is the rainy season.
Hotels:
Many hotels have been built in the salt desert area. Due to the lack of conventional building materials, many of them are built almost entirely (walls, roofs, furniture) from salt blocks carved from the site. The first such hotel was built in 1995 and soon became a popular tourist destination.
Tour:
Standard tours start in the south towards the southwestern part of Bolivia. Here you can find many lakes with fluorescent colors, which were created from a collection of different minerals from the runoff from the surrounding mountains.
The standard tour is carried out in 4x4 vehicles (usually Toyota Landcruisers) with 6 or 7 people, with a driver. Most 3 and 4 day tours have the same itineraries for the first 2 ½ days, a day on the salt flats and then heading south into the southwestern region of Bolivia and then heading back.
Accommodation is usually provided in basic shelters and the weather can be very cold, but it is worth it to see the amazing scenery.
Day 1: The world's largest salt flat
On the first day you will visit the salt flat. During the dry season, it will be a hallucinogenic white landscape. When it rains, the salt flat is mostly submerged, giving a perfect reflection of the sky.

• Uyuni Plaza Arce - Most trips start here, next to the train station at 10:30, although it is also possible to reach from the hotel.
• The Train Graveyard is usually at the beginning of the tour, but some operators prefer to end the tour here. There are many destroyed old steam locomotives here.

• Colchani, Bloques de Sal is a village 7 km north of Uyuni. Here you can buy souvenirs made from salt. There is also a salt museum here, which contains carved animals created from salt, as well as some furniture and household appliances. Admission is paid.
• A salt mining area is an area where salt is dug up and left in heaps (weighing a ton) to dry in the sun, then transported to a refinery.

• Salt Hotels – several hotels made entirely of salt.
• Isla de los Pescados, or Isla Incawasi. The name comes from the island, which looks like a fish during the rainy season. It is an island of fossil corals, covered with 1000-year-old cacti in the middle of the Salar. These cacti grow at a rate of 1 cm per year, so their age can be easily calculated. Most tour groups dine on the western "shore" of this island.

• Accommodation is possible in San Juan, although for the real experience it is better to try to find hotels closer to the Salar. Then you will be able to get up before dawn and reach the plain in 4x4 jeeps to see the most spectacular sunrise of your life.

Second day - Heading south to the colorful lakes of the lagoon (South Past Colorful Lakes – Laguna Colorada)

• Hedionda Lagoon is full of flamingos and is a popular lunch spot.
• ArboldePiedra is a stone tree that was carved by strong, sandy winds.

• The Viscacha area, a short stop on a rocky outcrop, is a Viscacha colony.
• Lagoon Colorada is a red lake with algae. You can also see a lot of flamingos.

Third day, morning - geysers and hot springs in Laguna Verde ( Verde).
The day starts early in the morning (5 am) without breakfast in order to have time to visit several of the following places:

• The SolardeManaña Geyser Pool is a collection of bubbly gray pools and the geyser is typically visited when the sun rises.
• The Termasde Polques hot springs are located next to the Salar de Chalviri. You can bring your own swimming gear to enjoy the springs. Popular place for breakfast.
• Lagoon Verde - painted green, it contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, copper, with an ideal view of the Lincacabur volcano

This is followed by a long drive back to Uyuni, or you can get from here to San Pedro de Atacama.

• Laguna Blanca is a white lake filled with boron ore.
• Lunch – Colorada Lagoon is a popular place to have lunch.

Afternoon – east of Tupiza.
If you choose a four-day Tupiza tour, the route will go off the beaten path and you will have the opportunity to visit several small communities. You will also see the following places:

• Lagoon Celeste is a bright blue lake colored by magnesium and manganese.
• Amarilla Lagoon is a yellow sulfur lake with several old rock paintings nearby.
• Ruinasde San Antonio is an abandoned sixteenth-century mining town where slave labor was used.

Afternoon – north of Uyuni:
The road back to Uyuni is very rough, stop at several small communities along the way:

• VallesdeRocas - many strange mountain valleys.

Fourth day – the trip ends at Tupiza.
The tour will take a long time to pass through beautiful scenery. The last attraction before arriving in Tupiza is Sillar. The site features giant clay columns formed due to erosion.
Day four – ends at Uyuni.

• San Cristobal is a town with a 350 year old church and a very beautiful silver altar.
• The Train Graveyard is a collection of vintage trains 3 kilometers southwest of Uyuni.

The wild beauty of this vast salt desert makes the Salar de Uyuni one of the most impressive sights in South America.

As expected, on the third day of our trip through Bolivia, we arrived at the Salt Lakes. The Uyuni Salt Flat (Spanish: Salar de Uyuni) is a dry salt lake in the south of the Altiplano desert plain, Bolivia at an altitude of about 3650 m above sea level. It has an area of ​​10,582 km² and is the largest salt marsh in the world. It is located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni in the departments of Oruro and Potosi in the southwest of the country.

When the Uyuni Salt Flat is covered with water, it reflects the blue South American sky.
The inside is covered with a layer of table salt 2-8 m thick. During the rainy season, the salt marsh is covered with a thin layer of water and turns into the world's largest mirror.

About 40 thousand years ago, this area was part of Lake Minchin (which itself emerged from the ancient Lake Ballyvyan). After it dried out, two currently existing lakes remained: Poopo and Uru-Uru, as well as two large salt marshes: Salar de Coipasa and Uyuni. The area of ​​Uyuni is approximately 25 times larger than the area of ​​Bonneville Dry Lake in the United States.

It is estimated that the Uyuni Salar contains a reserve of 10 billion tons of salt, of which less than 25 thousand tons are extracted annually. Due to its flat surface, the Uyuni Salar serves as the main transport route into the Altiplano.
Thanks to the development of tourism in the Uyuni salt flat, local residents began to build hotels from salt blocks where they can stay overnight. It is noteworthy that beds made of salt blocks retain heat very well, and at night they are very hot. Everything is built from salt, chairs, tables, beds, walls, floors.

Every year in November, three species of South American flamingos fly to the Uyuni salt marsh to breed - the Chilean flamingo, the Andean flamingo and the James flamingo.

Modern travelers, who travel around the world and have seen a huge number of sights, are rarely surprised by anything. It seems that all the monuments of nature, culture and history have already been explored. However, this is not true. And Lake Salar de Uyuni proves it! In this article you will learn everything about this lake.

General information about the salt marsh

There are places on our planet that literally take your breath away. It's like you've arrived on an unknown planet. Uyuni is a salt marsh located in Bolivia, a country famous throughout the world for its deposits. Here, in the southwest of the country, at an altitude of almost 4000 above sea level, the largest salt marsh in the world is located. Its area is more than 10 thousand square meters. km.

The thickness of the salt layer sometimes exceeds 10 meters. Every year, crowds of tourists from all over the planet attack Uyuni, a salt marsh that attracts not only with its natural beauty, but also with many attractions. And taking a photo against the backdrop of the “heavenly mirror” is considered a real success!

The history of the formation of an amazing lake

Lake Uyuni is part of the Altiplano plateau. This mountain plateau is located at an altitude of 4 thousand meters above the sea and holds not only Uyuni, but also other small salt marshes, as well as dry lakes. How was the miracle of nature formed - the Uyuni salt marsh? Its history takes us back to ancient times. About 40 thousand years ago, the lake was part of the giant Lake Minchin. Under the influence of time, Minchin was transformed into the Tauka reservoir, then into Koipasa. After drying out, lakes Uru Uru and Poopa (still exist) and the salt marshes of Coipas and Uyuni remained. The salt marsh is subject to flooding during the rainy season as it is inundated by nearby Poopo and Titicaca. The water that covers the layer of salt turns it into a mirror. Tourists here get the impression that there is sky above their heads and below their feet. People seem to be floating in the air.

Climate of the area

The rainy season here lasts from November to March. The approximate air temperature in summer is 22 °C. As in many deserts and mountains, a hot day on the Bolivian plateau gives way to a cool night. Winter occurs in the summer months in South America, but despite this, the main influx of tourists occurs at such times. In winter, the air temperature near Uyuni (salt marsh) reaches +13 °C, and at night drops to -10 °C.

Due to the high altitude above sea level, many tourists (especially those unaccustomed to changes in altitude) experience inconvenience here. They feel dizzy and their ears are blocked. Attacks of nausea and vomiting occur, but the symptoms quickly pass. The body gets used to the climate, and the locals know how to help the tourist. They advise visitors to chew coca leaves - a strong tonic that helps relieve discomfort. However, people visiting the Salar de Uyuni salt marsh (Bolivia) should remember that coca leaves are not a weak drug!

Flora and fauna of a lake in the mountains

Due to the huge accumulation of salts, the local soil is unsuitable for life. There is almost no vegetation here. You can only notice tall cacti and rare shrubs, which the aborigines use as fuel. By the way, the cacti here are very interesting. Reaching a height of 12 meters, they all have different shapes and thicknesses. It is difficult to find two identical cacti.

In the summer, you can see a real miracle on the salt marsh: hundreds of beautiful birds flock here - pink flamingos, sedately walking along the mirror-like surface. Chilean, Andean and James's flamingos come here every year to breed.

About 80 species of birds live nearby. Among them there are interesting individuals, such as the Andean goose and the Andean hummingbird. You can also see Andean foxes and small viscacha rodents here. The appearance of the latter slightly resembles the rabbits we are used to.

Salar de Uyuni: economic significance

The salt marsh is of enormous importance to the Bolivian economy. Of course, its main wealth is its truly significant reserves of salt. Experts suggest that there are ten billion tons of salt here. This is a huge number! Moreover, about 25 thousand tons of mineral are mined from the lake every year. Lithium is also mined here. It is used to produce batteries. More than 50% of the world's supply of this substance is found in Lake Bolivia.

During the dry season, the flat surface of the salt marsh is one of the main thoroughfares of the Altiplano. And of course, it is considered one of the main attractions of the country. Crowds of tourists flock here, replenishing the state treasury.

Another fact in favor of the lake: it has a flat mirror surface, clear skies and dry air. These are excellent conditions for testing and calibrating orbiting satellites. This is why the Salar de Uyuni salt marsh is so dear to the Bolivian government.

Local Attractions: Locomotive Cemetery

The locomotive cemetery is located three kilometers from the city of Uyuni. Now this once large town has a population of 15 thousand people. But once upon a time the most important railway lines of the country passed here. In the 40s of the 20th century, production at the mines fell, and the city gradually began to empty out. The collapse of the railway service was not long in coming... Locomotives and carriages were abandoned just like that.

Tourists can even see steam locomotives here that are more than a century old. But unfortunately, all these historical objects are in a terrible and unkempt state. The authorities have tried to raise the issue of creating a museum, but so far to no avail.

Salt hotels

Bolivians who work to extract salt use it for more than just food. Traders offer visitors to the country souvenirs made right here from salt. But the inventive people didn’t stop there! People visiting the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia and wanting to experience the local flavor as much as possible stay overnight in hotels made from blocks of salt.

The first hotels were built in the 90s of the last century. They were erected in the middle of the lake. Due to sanitation problems that had a negative impact on the environment, the hotels were demolished and rebuilt in compliance with all regulations. Now the famous salt hotels are located on the edge of the lake.

The Hotel Palacio de Sal is one of the most famous hotels made of salt. The walls and roof, floor, furniture, sculptures here are made of salt. Tourists will also be offered a sauna and jacuzzi. The only prohibition of all salt block hotels is that you cannot lick the surroundings!

Pescado Island

Another attraction of Uyuni is located right in the middle of the lake. Pescado Island (translated as “fish”) during the rainy season really resembles a fish with its outlines. The area of ​​the island is approximately 2 square meters. km. The mouth of an ancient extinct volcano rises above the salt desert.

It is covered with many fossilized corals and huge cacti. The cacti here are ancient; there are even thousand-year-old specimens. Pescado Island is famous for the ruins left over from the Inca settlement.

Other local attractions

When visiting the village of Kolchani, a tourist should definitely look into the local museum, where interesting pieces of furniture and sculptures made from the mineral are exhibited.

The lagoon of Lake Edionda is also interesting. There are flocks of flamingos here, and you can also spot llamas and alpacas. Flamingos also fly to the nearby Colorado Lagoon.

50 km from Lake Colorado there is a geyser basin called Sol de Mañana. The reservoir bubbles and emits sulfur gas with a characteristic unpleasant odor. Not far away you can swim in a thermal spring. This is especially useful for people suffering from arthritis.

If these attractions aren’t enough for you, then head to Laguna Verde. This green salt lake is located almost on the state border with Chile. Sedimentary deposits with copper give the water an interesting color.

Aymara Indians tell tourists an ancient legend. The mountains surrounding the salt marsh, according to the aborigines, were giants in ancient times. Kusku was married to Tunupe, but was fascinated by Cousin. The giant abandoned his wife and little child, and Tunupa shed bitter tears for a very long time. Streams of tears mixed with the milk she fed the child, and a huge lake was formed. Locals greatly respect the legend of Tunul and believe that the area should bear her name.

Reminder for tourists

When going to a new and unknown place, do not forget to take everything you need with you. Take sunglasses if you don't want to squint all the time. If you want to take a night photo of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, bring warm clothes.

The nights here can be very cool. Waterproof shoes and moisturizer should definitely fit in your suitcase, because the local climate makes your skin very dry.

If you'll be staying in a budget hotel, take a blanket or sleeping bag. Such hotels are often not heated.

The best place to visit Uyuni is February; it is in this month that the lake becomes a truly gigantic mirror. Don't forget to take photos of the local cute llamas walking along the shore. Their ears are decorated with funny earrings of different colors.

Salar de Uyuni: how to get there?

Tourists usually get to the salt marsh from the capital of Bolivia, the city of La Paz. Several types of transport run to the famous lake. So, how to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia?

If you want to admire a truly wonderful view of an endless mirror lake, flocks of charming pink flamingos, stay in an exotic hotel made of salt blocks and watch an ancient volcano, then be sure to visit the dry Lake Uyuni in South America.

If you think you know everything about salt and it won’t surprise you, then you should go to Uyuni to get to know it again in the endless snow-white desert.

Uyuni is the largest salt marsh in the world. It covers 12,106 km2, which is 5 times the area of ​​Luxembourg.

The huge mountain lake Minchin almost completely dried out 25,000 years ago, leaving behind a couple of small reservoirs and two giant salt marshes: Uyuni and Coipasa.

The dry salt lake of Uyuni is the main attraction of Bolivia. Visit to the salt marsh. Hundreds of tourists come here every day to see unearthly landscapes. Most often, people try to get to Uyuni during the rainy season - from late January to February - at this time the salt desert is covered with a layer of water and becomes a giant mirror in which the blue sky is reflected in contrast. But even in the dry season, the Uyuni salt marsh is incredibly beautiful, and there are even more photo opportunities in the boundless blinding white desert.

About 20 tons of salt are mined here every year, and Uyuni's total salt reserves are estimated at 10 billion tons. The value of the salt marsh is not limited to salt. Uyuni contains about 100 million tons of lithium, representing up to 70% of the world's reserves - enough to power all the smartphone batteries produced in the next 100 years.

Holidays in Uyuni. Surreal landscape of a dry lake

Uyuni is a fantastically beautiful place, one of the most incredible places on our planet, where the sense of space is erased. to see exactly this cosmic landscape and feel like an inhabitant of another planet.

The most popular entertainment on the dry Lake Uyuni is creating surreal photos.

The sun, bright blue sky and endless expanse of salt, without filters, will make your shots unearthly and vibrant. And even if you find yourself here out of season, when the salt marsh is completely dry, your photos will still be fantastically beautiful! That is why Uyuni is one of the most favorite places for photographers around the world.

Tourists take pictures here standing, sitting, lying down, and jumping. To create the most original photos, the guides take with them the author’s paraphernalia - from frying pans on which tourists are “seated” in the frame, to dinosaurs that add fantasticality to the shots.

By the way, evening and night photography - sunset and starry sky reflected in the water - is another special pleasure for photographers; keep this in mind when choosing the duration of excursions.

In addition to visiting the salt lake, you can also visit a number of unusual places in the vicinity of Uyuni - from the “train graveyard” to geysers, thermal springs and habitats of pink flamingos:

1. Cactus Island / Inca Island Incahuasi (IslaIncahuasi)

During the times of the Incas, when caravans of llamas and chasque messengers crossed the Altiplano, this island in the middle of the salt desert served as a shelter for them to take a short rest.

The island is covered with a forest of giant cacti, and from its top there are truly magical views of the salt marsh and the mountains around.

The island can only be accessed during the dry season; during the rainy season there is no access to the island.

2. Kolchani (Colchani) - salt mining village

Salt is the main source of income for the residents of Kolchan. Guides bring tourists here to show how salt is collected, processed and packaged and how houses are built from salt blocks. Colchani is also known for its souvenir market, where you can buy unique products in traditional Bolivian style - these are not sold outside of Uyuni.

3. Train Graveyard

The junkyard of rusty 19th-century steam locomotives, left over from the days when Uyuni had a train factory, is especially interesting to tourists from Europe - such sights are new to them. Although others might find it interesting to climb around old trains and take a few apocalyptic photos.

4. Volcanoes and glaciers

There are many glaciers and volcanoes in this region that you can climb: the Licancabur volcano (5960 meters), the Candelaria glacier (Nevado Candelaria, 5995 meters), the active Ollague volcano on the border with Chile (Ollague, 5865 meters).

The active volcano Uturuncu (6020 meters) is an excellent opportunity to add a climb of 6000 meters to your achievements. And while climbing the Tunupa volcano (5432 meters) from the village of Kokesa, you can also visit caves with pre-Inca mummies. The ascent and descent usually take 10 hours.

Climbing volcanoes is not included in the program of standard group tours, but they can be included in an individual itinerary.

It is necessary to first undergo acclimatization at altitude for several days before starting the climb.

5. National Reserve of Andean Fauna named after Eduardo Avaroa (ReservaNationalDeFaunaAndinaEduardoAvaroa)

The landscapes of the Eduardo Avaroa National Park are beautiful and mesmerizing. One of the places is even called “Salvador Dali’s Desert” - because the views are as surreal as the paintings of this artist. There is so much color here: colorful quinoa fields, red, yellow and green lagoons with pink flamingos, snow-white mountain peaks and dark volcanoes.

Herds of wild vicuñas, domestic llamas and alpacas with colored pom-poms and tassels in their ears graze on huge desert fields, wild foxes run and - what’s quite surprising! - wild ostriches.

Flora and fauna have adapted to the harsh local climate: piercing winds, scorching sun and night frosts. In some months the temperature at night drops to -25C.

6. Attractions of the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve

- Stone tree

Just as water wears away a stone, so gusts of wind change its shape over the centuries. Photos of the famous “stone tree” can often be seen on postcards and guidebooks. A huge block of stone standing on a thin “leg” is truly amazing.

- Colored Lagoon (LagunaColorada)

The largest of the colored lagoons - Laguna Colorada - occupies 60 km2, while the maximum depth of the lagoon is only 80 cm, and the average is 20 cm. The rich red-orange color of the lagoon is given by seaweed and plankton, which also provide food for numerous flamingos.

The white shore of the lagoon contains sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum.

- Valley of Geysers Sol de Mañana (SoldeMan’ ana), height 4850 meters

The place smells of sulfur, and the ground is covered with bubbling puddles of mud and clouds of steam. But the sight of the dawn valley with columns of steam gushing out of the ground here and there deserves an early rise.

- Polkes thermal springs (Polques)

You understand what happiness is when, after a cold night in a hotel with minimal amenities and a piercing icy morning wind, you find yourself in a pool with hot thermal water, where you can relax and warm up.

N.B.: Bring a swimsuit and towel for your trip.

- Green Lagoon

When a strong wind blows, the lagoon turns a rich green-blue color. This is due to the minerals contained in the water: lead, sulfur, arsenic, and calcium carbonates. These same minerals prevent the lagoon from becoming covered with ice even when the temperature drops to -20C.

During calm periods, the lagoon does not change color.

- Desert by Salvador Dali

The first tourists, driving past this desert, were struck by its similarity to the paintings of Salvador Dali. It’s hard to argue with this, judge for yourself.

Excursions and tours in Uyuni

Traditional excursion routes are designed for 1, 2 or 3 days.

One day excursion starts at 10am in Uyuni. During the day, tourists have time to visit the Train Cemetery, the village of Kolchani, the salt marsh, Incahuasi Island (during the dry season) and have lunch at the salt hotel. In the evening the group returns back to Uyuni.

Three daystour to Uyuni, most popular, includes all the most interesting: the Uyuni salt marsh, the Incahuasi Cactus Island, the Colored Lagoons with flamingos, the Valley of Geysers Sol de Mañana, the Green Lagoon, the Dali Desert, the Stone Tree, an overnight stay in a salt hotel and swimming in hot thermal springs.

You can finish the tour in the city of Uyuni or in the Chilean city of San Pedro de Atacama.

What is included in the excursion:

• Travel by 4x4 jeep with a professional driver
• Accommodation in hostels or hotels
• Professional English speaking guide
• Meals: all breakfasts, lunches and dinners (except breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last)

Individual route makes it possible to create a program taking into account the wishes of tourists and, for example, add climbing to volcanoes.

When to go. Climate and temperature

Rainy season

The rainy season in Uyuni lasts from December to February. This is exactly the time when the salt marsh becomes a giant mirror in which the sky is reflected. This period is considered the “low season,” but many tourists strive to get to Uyuni precisely when it is covered with water.

During the rainy season, some areas become inaccessible - the police close access there for security reasons. For example, you can only get to Cactus Island during the dry season.

Weather in Uyuni

Nights in the mountains are very cold, with temperatures dropping to -10C in some months. During the day, the air heats up and the sun heats up very actively. Therefore, you will definitely need warm clothes for the evening and night, and light ones for the daytime.

Warmest months: November to April. At this time during the day: +18 / +22C. At night: +3 / +7C.

Coldest months: May to October. Daytime temperature: +12 / +19C. Night: -7 / +1C.

Bring good sunscreen and a hat. And, of course, sunglasses - so much reflected sunlight can rarely be found anywhere else on Earth.

Acclimatization at altitude

Uyuni is located high in the mountains - during the excursion, tourists rise to a height of up to 4900 meters. Before traveling to Uyuni, make sure you are acclimatized and will not be affected by altitude sickness.

Tourist access to Uyuni

Keep in mind that there are no roads here; after rain, the surface of the salt marsh becomes slippery and dangerous, so we strongly recommend using the services of professional drivers.

There are also dangerous places on the lake, on the surface of which water boils - without knowing these places, you risk falling through with your car.

Another problem that tourists face during excursions in Uyuni is drunken guides or drivers, as well as jeeps that have not passed technical checks, which can break down at any time and anywhere. These are not just annoying little things, but life-threatening situations.

Hotels and more in Uyuni

You can visit Uyuni in one day: fly from La Paz in the morning and fly back in the evening. In this case, hotel accommodation will not be required. But if you want to spend more than one day in Uyuni, then spending the night in a salt hotel or right on the salt flat can be an unforgettable adventure!

Salt hotels

Walls and furniture made of salt blocks and a thick layer of salt on the floor - this is what salt hotels look like. Accommodation is expensive due to the unique nature of these hotels and you need to book them well in advance of your planned trip, as the number of places is limited. But be prepared for fairly basic accommodation conditions. There are no high-level hotels in the area of ​​the salt marsh and the national park.

Glamping /Glamping

Spending the night right in the middle of a salt marsh under a star-strewn sky sounds tempting, right? Glamping - tents on high poles that are installed on the salt surface of Uyuni in any season: both when the salt marsh is dry and when it is covered with a layer of water. Tourists have everything they need: a separate tent with a dry closet, delicious dinners and breakfasts and romantic solitude.

How to get to Uyuni

By plane

The fastest way to get to Uyuni.

Amazsonas and BoA airlines operate daily flights from La Paz to Uyuni, the flight takes less than an hour.

By bus

The journey from La Paz to Uyuni takes 10 hours.

Several local companies offer overnight travel in comfortable buses with reclining seats and meals. Buses arrive in Uyuni at 7-8 o'clock in the morning.

By train

Trains operate on the Oruro/Uyuni/Oruro route several times a week. The city of Oruro is 3 hours' drive from La Paz. There are buses from Oruro to Uyuni. The schedule must be clarified before planning a trip.

The Salar de Uyuni (Spanish version of the name Salar de Uyuni) is the largest salt flat in the world with an area of ​​10,582 km². It is located in the southwest of Bolivia at an altitude of 3656 meters above sea level and is covered with a salt crust with an average thickness of several meters (in places up to 10 m). According to some estimates, the Uyuni salt marsh contains up to 50% of the world's lithium reserves. Tourists from all over the world come here to observe ancient volcanoes, flocks of pink flamingos, roaming herds of wild llamas, giant cacti 10 meters or more high, lakes that change color daily and magical fields of geysers.

Education and Geology

All salt marshes were formed on the site of former lakes and other water basins. If the lake does not have water flow into the river, and the rate of evaporation exceeds the amount of precipitation, the concentration of salt in the water increases over time. After complete evaporation of water, a hard crust of salt forms on the surface and the area turns into a salt marsh.

The Uyuni Salar is part of the Bolivian Altiplano, a mountain plateau more than 3,000 meters above sea level. The plateau has a number of fresh and salt lakes, salt marshes, all surrounded by mountains and volcanoes.

The geological history of the Uyuni salt marsh consists of the successive transformation of several huge lakes. Approximately 30,000-42,000 years ago, its territory was part of the giant prehistoric Lake Minchin. Lake Minchin (named after Juan Minchin) later transformed into Lake Tauka and then (approximately 11,500 - 13,400 years ago) into the youngest prehistoric Lake Coipasa. When it dried up, there remained two modern lakes (Poopo and Uru Uru) and two salt marshes - the Salar de Coipasa and the much larger Salar de Uyuni. Both salt marshes are separated from each other by a number of hills. Lake Poopo is a neighbor of the much larger Lake Titicaca. During the rainy season, the level of Titicaca rises and the water flows into Lake Poopo, which in turn causes flooding of both salt marshes - Coipas and Uyuni.

The top of the salt marsh is covered with a hard crust of salt of varying thickness: from several tens of centimeters to 10 meters in the center. Below, lake silt alternates with layers of brine - an aqueous solution saturated with sodium chloride, lithium chloride and magnesium chloride. The most valuable of these minerals is lithium chloride.

In the center of the Uyuni salt marsh there are several “islands”, which are the remains of the peaks of ancient volcanoes, completely submerged in water during the era of the existence of the prehistoric Lake Minchin. Now their surface is covered with fragile sediments, often consisting of fossils and algae, on top of which cacti and shrubs grow.

Economic significance

For centuries, the Quechua Indians survived by mining and selling salt. The salt is scraped off, transported to nearby villages, where it is processed, packaged and shipped to consumers. About 25,000 tons of salt are mined annually - a drop in the ocean compared to reserves of 10 billion tons.

Under a thick layer of salt is brine - an aqueous solution with a 0.3% concentration of lithium, the lightest metal that is predicted to have a great future. For two decades, lithium has been used in laptops, mobile phones and other devices. But its main application is expected to be in the production of batteries for electric cars, which can replace gasoline and diesel fuel for cars in the near future. A lot of lithium is found in rock and sea water. But almost all reserves suitable for industrial development are in the form of brine under salt marshes. The invention of the pneumatic tire turned rubber into a valuable commodity in the 19th century. The global trend towards green energy has the potential to do the same for lithium in 21st.

Attempts to extract lithium by foreign companies in the 1980s and 1990s met with strong local opposition. Despite their poverty, local residents frown upon the idea of ​​mining the precious metal. The Bolivian government does not intend to allow foreign corporations to develop it and plans to build its own plant.

Thanks to its location and ideal level (the average elevation difference across the entire area is only one meter), the Salar de Uyuni is one of the main road routes through the Bolivian Altiplano, except during the rainy season.

Effects

During the rainy season from November to March, the salt marsh is covered with a layer of water up to 30 cm. When a thin layer of water covers the surface of the salt marsh, a mirror effect is created. Clouds are visible not only from above in the sky, but also from below under your feet. The landscapes are simply unimaginable. The impression is as if people and cars are floating in the clouds.

During the dry season, polygonal grooves are formed on the surface of the salt marsh, similar to a honeycomb, but less regular in shape. Mostly hexagons are found, but there are also pentagons, heptagons and even octagons. These forms of grooves several centimeters high are formed during the evaporation of water.

Flora and fauna

The salt marsh is virtually devoid of any wild animals or plants. Plants are dominated by giant cacti. They grow at a rate of 1 cm per year to a height of up to 12 meters. Other plants are represented by shrubs.

Every year in November and December, the Salar de Uyuni attracts three species of South American pink flamingos: Chilean, Andean and James. The pink coloration of flamingos comes from feeding on pink microalgae (algae). The area is home to about 80 other bird species, including the horned coot, the Andean goose, and the Andean mountain star hummingbird. The fauna is represented by the Andean fox, some places of the salt marsh (in particular the Island of Fish) have small colonies of viscachas (a rodent similar to our rabbit).

Places of interest (attractions)

The Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist attraction in Bolivia. It attracts about 70,000 tourists annually. This article describes a "standard" trip route through the salt marsh and surrounding lagoons. Tour operators use SUVs (usually Toyota Landcruisers), and the driver is often responsible for cooking. Most 3 and 4 day tours have the same travel itinerary for the first two and a half days (the first day includes a visit to the Uyuni salt flats, then heads into southwestern Bolivia to lakes and volcanoes, and then the tour routes diverge). Specific places to visit depend on the tour chosen. Accommodation is usually in simple houses, which are not always heated despite the cold weather, but the amazing scenery is worth some of the sacrifices.

First day of the trip - salt marsh

On the first day you will visit the salt marsh. During the dry season the landscape is exclusively white. During the rainy season, the surface of the salt marsh perfectly reflects the blue sky and clouds.

Plaza Arce(Plaza Arce). Most trips start at 10:30 am from Plaza Arce, located next to Uyuni train station.

Train Graveyard(Cementerio de Trenes). Typically, the first stop on the tour is the Train Graveyard, but some operators choose to end the tour at this location. Uyuni, a small town of just over 15,000 people, was once a major railway center in Bolivia. With the decline of the mining industry in the 1940s, the railway also fell into disrepair, leaving trains to fend for themselves in the outskirts of the city. Some locomotives are over 100 years old. The Train Graveyard is the most popular attraction in this town.

Quivers(Colchani). It is a small village about 22 kilometers from Uyuni on the eastern edge of the salt flats. The main occupation of its inhabitants is salt mining. The salt is processed and sent to other regions of Bolivia, and some of it is exported abroad. Kolchani serves as the first stop on most excursions. In addition to salt mining, many of its residents survive through tourism. A special feature of the village (in addition to stopping to drink some water and buy souvenirs) are its houses, built from blocks of salt. In appearance, the village is not very attractive and snow-white, but where else in the world will you find such a street or such buildings made of salt? The Salt Museum displays animal figurines and furniture made from this material, and demonstrates construction technologies using salt.

Salt mining area

Visit places where salt is manually raked from the surface of the salt marsh into piles weighing a ton or more, and left to dry in the sun before being transported to a factory for subsequent processing.

Salt Hotel

Due to the high cost of conventional building materials, many visitors stay in hotels built almost entirely (walls, roof) from salt blocks. Juan Quezada was the first to propose the idea of ​​building a salt hotel, because salt had been the most practical building material in this area for centuries. The first such hotel was built in 1995 in the center of the Uyuni salt marsh, and it very quickly became a popular tourist attraction. But the hotel's location in the middle of a salt marsh caused a number of sanitary problems. Serious environmental pollution prompted authorities to close and dismantle the hotel in 2002. Later, several new salt hotels were built on the outskirts of the salt marsh in full compliance with environmental standards.

One of these hotels (Hotel Palacio de Sal Hotel & Spa) is located in the village of Colchani on the eastern edge of the salt marsh. Apart from the walls, floors and ceilings, most of its interior decoration is also made of salt: chairs, tables, beds, clocks and even sculptures. The luxurious 4,500 m² hotel has all modern amenities, including a dry sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi, bathtub. It can accommodate 48 people at a time in 16 double and 8 single rooms. Previously, salt was considered only a vital component for cooking, but in the Uyuni salt marsh area this mineral was used in a completely different capacity. You can book your room on the hotel website www.palaciodesal.com.bo

Fish Island(Isla de los Pescados)

The name comes from the Spanish word "pescado", which means "fish". The thing is that during the rainy season, the reflection of the island on the surface of the salt marsh resembles a fish. The island is covered in fossilized coral deposits and 1,000-year-old cacti. These cacti (the tallest ones are 9-10 m) grow at a rate of 1 cm per year, so you can easily calculate their age. On the island you can see several viscachas (South American rodents that look like hares). You can walk around the island, enjoy the panorama of the salt flat and take beautiful photos (this is the best place to photograph the salt flat). Most tour groups dine on the western "shore" of this island. A small fee is charged for the right to visit.

Overnight stop. Typically stay overnight in San Juan, although for a real treat you can look for a travel agency that provides accommodation closer to the salt marsh. Then you can get up before dawn and see a beautiful sunrise.

The second day of the trip - a trip to the Colorada Lagoon

Continuation of the journey southwest towards the colored lakes (red, blue, white, yellow and green) located in the National Reserve of Andean Fauna Eduardo Avaroa (Parque Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa). The water is colored by a number of different minerals washed away from the surrounding volcanoes by currents. Some tours include visits to the Galaxy Cave (Cueva Galaxia) and the Devil's Cave (Cueva del Diablo).

Laguna Edionda(Laguna Hedionda) is a salt lake notable for several species of migrating pink and white flamingos. The Spanish name "La Grande Laguna Hedionda" means "big stinking lake". Laguna Edionda is one of nine small salt lakes in the Andean Altiplano. The 3 km² lake is located at an altitude of 4121 meters and is surrounded by salt marshes and wetlands. From time to time, llamas and alpacas can be seen grazing in the lake area. Laguna Edionda serves as a popular stopover and lunch spot.
Vizcacha habitat. A short stop on a rocky outcrop where a colony of viscachas lives. The guides lure them out of hiding with carrots.

Arbol de Piedra(Arbol de Piedra) - a stone in the shape of a tree. Over the years, water and wind have carved the sculpture from a huge boulder, resembling a petrified tree that seems to grow from the ground.

Laguna Colorada(Laguna Colorada) is a shallow salt lake located in the National Reserve of Andean Fauna Eduardo Avaroa (Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa) near the border with Chile. The red lake is located at an altitude of 4278 m. The red hue of the lake is given by algae - microscopic algae. The lagoon contains many other minerals that form a breeding ground for the development of microorganisms that flamingos feed on. Laguna Colorada is best known for its large colonies of flamingos. James's flamingos are the most common, and Andean and Chilean flamingos are less common. A small fee is required to enter the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna.

Accommodation. Accommodation in the Colorada Lagoon area in simple brick shacks, sometimes without heating. Electricity is supplied for several hours. Please note that at night in July the temperature can drop to -10 °C or lower.

Third morning - geysers and hot springs, Laguna Verde

The journey will continue in the early morning (waking up at 4am) without breakfast to visit the following places:

Sol de Mañana Geyser Pool(Solar de Manaña). The geyser pool is located 50 km from the Colorada Lagoon at an altitude of 4850 meters above sea level. In this place, bubbling sulfur pools, fumaroles and geysers emit sulfur gas with an unpleasant smell of rotten eggs. Sometimes geysers lift hot steam tens of meters into the air. The geyser pool is usually visited at sunrise.

Termas de Polques thermal pond located near the Sol de Magnana geyser basin. Go for a swim if you want to truly enjoy the thermal spring. The mineral content of the water is believed to relieve the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism. The temperature of the reservoir is pleasant for swimming, but in the morning at an altitude of 4400 meters above sea level the air is quite cold, so many people prefer to watch. Popular place for breakfast.

Laguna Verde(Laguna Verde) is a salt lake on the Chilean border, in the water of which the nearby Licancabur volcano (5920 m) is reflected. The green color of the lagoon is due to sediments containing copper and other minerals. The lake is located at an altitude of 4300 m above sea level. Laguna Verde is well known for its picturesque scenery and hot springs. A small corridor separates the lake from Laguna Blanca.

Laguna Blanca(Laguna Blanca) - a lake 5.6 km long and 3.5 km wide, located at an altitude of 4350 m. The characteristic white color of the water, which gave the lake its name, is caused by a high concentration of borax (sodium pyroborate). A narrow corridor separates Lagoon Blanca from the smaller Lagoon Verde.

Tupisa

If you choose a four-day tour that includes a visit to Tupiza, then you should see the following places:

Laguna Celeste(Laguna Celeste). The lake is bluish in color with a high content of magnesium and manganese. Located at an altitude of 4529 m, area 2.3 km².

Laguna Amarilla(Laguna Amarilla). A greenish-yellow lake with a high concentration of sulfur.

Ruins of the colonial city of San Antonio(San Antonio). This is an abandoned sixteenth-century mining town.

Uyuni

On the way back to Uyuni, stop in small villages and also visit the Stone Valley (Valles de Rocas), a place with unusual rock formations formed by wind erosion. The small village of Alota is a relatively popular overnight stop.

Fourth day of the trip – arrival in the city of Tupiza

Continuation of the trip along the road with beautiful natural scenery. The last attraction before arriving in Tupiza will be El Sillar - a heavily eroded rock formation.

Fourth day of the trip – arrival in the city of Uyuni

The last day of the trip includes a visit to the small town of San Cristobal, whose main attraction is the old church, and then return to Uyuni.

How to get there

There are several ways to get from La Paz to Uyuni:

Airplane. On July 11, 2011, Bolivian President Evo Morales opened El Aeropuerto Joya Andina Airport in Uyuni. The airport is currently served by two airlines: Amaszonas (www.amaszonas.com) and Transporte Aereo Militar (abbreviated TAM, www.tam.bo). Transporte Aereo Militar offers flights to Uyuni from La Paz (with a stopover in Sucre) every Monday, Friday and Saturday. Return flights from Uyuni to La Paz (again, with a stopover in Sucre), also on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. To date, Transporte Aereo Militar does not provide ticket booking through its website. The disadvantage of flying with Transporte Aereo Militar is that the flight from La Paz to Uyuni stops in Sucre and if the weather conditions there are bad, the flight may be temporarily cancelled. The preferred option is Amazonas, which offers daily flights to Uyuni from La Paz.

Bus. Tourist night bus. There are several tourist night buses going from La Paz to Uyuni and vice versa. Buses leave every day. There are no daytime buses. The journey takes approximately 10 hours, but may take longer during the rainy season (November to April). All buses transit through Oruro. The total distance is 569 km (from La Paz to Oruro 229 km on a paved road, and from Oruro to Uyuni 340 km on a dirt road). The bus leaves La Paz at 21.00 and arrives in Uyuni around 07.00. Take the tourist bus from Todo Turismo (www.todoturismo.bo). This is the best bus in Bolivia, the friendly staff speaks English, and offers hot meals inside the bus. It runs between Uyuni and La Paz on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Bus – train. You can travel from La Paz to Oruro by bus (about 4 hours) and then take the train from Oruro to Uyuni. You will have to take a taxi from the bus station to the train station in Oruro. Every Tuesday and Friday, the Expreso del Sur train leaves Oruro at 15:30, arriving in Uyuni at 22:20. Every Sunday and Wednesday the train leaves Oruro at 19:00, arriving in Uyuni at 02:20. The Wara Wara del Sur train from Uyuni to Oruro departs on Thursday and Sunday at 00:05, arriving in Oruro at 07:00, on Tuesday and Friday departure from Oruro at 01:45, arriving in Uyuni at 09:10. See below the departure schedule for the Expreso del Sur and Wara Wara del Sur trains ( read the article Transport in Bolivia (buses, trains)). You can book train tickets online at www.fca.com.bo.

Climate and when to visit

From November to March (summer in Bolivia) is the rainy season. The average temperature in December-January is + 21 °C, but it is cold at night throughout the year. When it rains, water accumulates on the flat surface of the Uyuni salt flat and reflects like a mirror. The tour may be delayed due to heavy rainfall as vehicles are heavily damaged by salt water corrosion.

During the rainy season, thousands of flamingos migrate to the area to mate and reproduce. There are especially many of them around the Colorada and Verde lagoons. The best months to see flamingos are November and December.

In winter, especially in June and July, the average temperature is + 13 °C, but at night it drops below zero, sometimes down to -10 °C and below. Winter is the dry season (April to October). In the dry season, the salt marsh is a perfectly flat plain. Precipitation varies from 1-3 mm per month from April to November and increases to 70 mm in January. Peak tourist season is from June to August.

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