Exploring Uyuni, Bolivia: A Travel Odyssey

Uyuni, Bolivia is a city in the southwest of the country, which primarily serves as a gateway for tourists visiting the nearby Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. The city itself has a population of 29,672 and acts as a hub for commerce and traffic in and out of Bolivia from Chile. The salt flat is a spectacular landscape, lying at an elevation of 3,656 metres above sea level, and can even be seen from space. The vast expanse of white, glistening salt stretches across 10,582 kilometres of the Altiplano.

Salar de Uyuni: The World's Largest Salt Flat

Salar de Uyuni is a remarkable vista in Bolivia, South America, and the world's largest salt flat. It is a unique, remote place that is worth the long journey to get there. Here's everything you need to know about this incredible destination.

Where is Salar de Uyuni?

Salar de Uyuni is located in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes mountains. It is 569 kilometres away from Bolivia's capital, La Paz, and almost 500 kilometres away from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. The closest town is Uyuni, which serves as a gateway for tourists visiting the salt flats.

How to Get There

You can take a bus or plane from La Paz to Uyuni. Flights are approximately $130 round-trip and take one hour. Overnight buses are also available and take 10-12 hours, costing $30 to $40 each way. From Uyuni, it is easy to book day trips to the salt flats.

When to Go

Salar de Uyuni has two distinct seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season, also known as the "altiplanic winter", runs from December to April. During this time, a thin layer of rainwater transforms the salt flats into a stunning natural mirror, reflecting the sky. However, excessive rain can cause tour cancellations. The dry season is from May to November, with colder temperatures and a hardened ground, allowing visitors to drive across the stark white landscape. Tour operators typically consider June through August as their high season, with rates rising accordingly.

What to See and Do

The Uyuni salt flats offer a variety of experiences and activities for visitors. Here are some highlights:

• Witness the Natural Mirror: During the rainy season, the salt flats become a giant mirror, reflecting the sky. This natural phenomenon attracts travellers from around the world.
• Enjoy the Sunsets and Sunrises: The salt flats provide some of the best sunsets and sunrises in South America. The flat surface and blurred horizon create an otherworldly experience, making it hard to distinguish the sky from the earth.
• Stargaze at the Milky Way: With one of the clearest skies on Earth, the salt flats are an ideal place to stargaze and admire the Milky Way.
• Explore the History: The Uyuni salt flats have a long history dating back 30,000 to 42,000 years ago when the area was part of a giant prehistoric lake. Over time, this lake transformed and dried up, leaving behind the vast salt flats we see today.
• Visit Incahuasi Island: Take a drive or cycle to Incahuasi Island, located in the middle of the salt flat. Here, you can spot gigantic cacti and explore the remains of an ancient volcano.
• Adventure Activities: For experienced hikers, climbing the nearby Thunupa volcano is a challenging but rewarding experience. Cycling across the vast salt flats is another way to explore the area.
• Antique Train Cemetery: Located 3 kilometres outside of Uyuni, this cemetery is a collection of historic steam locomotives and rail cars from the 19th century. It serves as a reminder of the town's past as a distribution hub for trains carrying minerals.
• Salt Hotels: Stay in the world's first salt hotel, built entirely from salt blocks cut from the Salar de Uyuni.
• Photography: The endless horizon of the salt flats provides photographers with unique opportunities to play with perspective and depth of field. Get creative with props and capture stunning images that defy reality!

Practical Information

At nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, visitors should be aware of the potential for altitude sickness. Discuss options for preventing and treating altitude sickness with a doctor before your trip. Additionally, Bolivia requires a tourist visa and a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate for entry.

The Gateway to Bolivia

Uyuni is a city in southwestern Bolivia that serves as the gateway for tourists visiting the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. Each year, the city receives approximately 60,000 visitors from all over the world. Uyuni is also a hub for commerce and traffic crossing into and out of Bolivia from Chile, with a customs and immigration post downtown.

History

Uyuni was founded in 1890 as a trading post and had a population of 29,672 according to the 2012 official census. The town lies at an elevation of 3,700 m (12,139 ft) above sea level, with a mountainous landscape to the east. It is an important transport hub, being the location of a major railway junction. Four train lines join here, coming from La Paz (via Oruro), Calama (in Chile), Potosí, and Villazón (on the Argentine border).

Attractions

One of the major tourist attractions in Uyuni is the antique train cemetery, located 3 km outside the town. The trains date back to the 19th century when Uyuni served as a distribution hub for trains carrying minerals to Pacific Ocean ports. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, and many trains were abandoned, creating the cemetery. There are proposals to convert the cemetery into a museum.

Another attraction in Uyuni is the Museo Arqueología y Antropológico de los Andes Meridionales, a small museum featuring mummies, long skulls, fossils, ceramics, and textiles. The museum also has information on the practice of cranial deformation.

Climate

Uyuni has an alpine cold desert climate, with mild summers and cool winters. Night-time temperatures remain chilly throughout the year. The average annual temperature ranges from a peak of 21 °C (70 °F) in November to January, to a low of 13 °C (55 °F) in June. The relative humidity remains low and constant throughout the year, ranging from 30% to 45%.

Getting There

Uyuni can be reached by bus or plane from La Paz. Flights to Uyuni are available through Amaszonas and BoA (approximately $130 round-trip), while overnight buses can be booked with Trans Omar and Todo Turismo ($30 to $40 each way).

The Town of Uyuni

Uyuni is a small, dusty town in the southwest of Bolivia, known as the gateway to the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. The town is located 569km away from the country's capital, La Paz, and serves as a jumping-off point for tourists visiting the salt flats. Uyuni has a cheerful buzz about it, despite the icy conditions, with hundreds of travellers passing through every week. The town has a population of around 30,000 people and lies at an elevation of 3,656 to 3,700 metres above sea level.

Uyuni was founded in 1890 as a trading post and later became an important transport hub, with a major railway junction connecting four lines from different cities. The town also has an extensive street market and is home to a small museum, the Museo Arqueología y Antropológico de los Andes Meridionales, which features mummies, long skulls, fossils, ceramics and textiles.

One of the major attractions in Uyuni is the antique train cemetery, located 3km outside the town. The cemetery is a collection of historic steam locomotives and rail cars from the 19th century, when Uyuni served as a distribution hub for trains carrying minerals to Pacific Ocean ports. Today, the trains sit abandoned, creating a unique and rustic display.

The Climate

Uyuni, Bolivia, is known for its extreme cold. The city has an alpine cold desert climate with mild summers and cool winters. The average temperature peaks at 21°C (70°F) from November to January and is at its lowest (13°C/55°F) in June. Nights are cold all year round, with temperatures ranging from −9 to 5°C (16 to 41°F). The relative humidity remains low and constant throughout the year, at 30% to 45%. Rainfall is also low, with 1 to 3mm of rain per month between April and November, but this can increase to 80mm in January.

The rainy season in Uyuni is from December to April, and this is when the salt flats become a shallow lake, creating the world's largest natural mirror. The dry season is from May to November, when the ground hardens and temperatures are colder.

Uyuni is located at an elevation of 3,656m (11,995ft) to 3,700m (12,139ft) above sea level, so visitors need to be prepared for the altitude. The high altitude and dry climate mean that the skies above Uyuni are very clear, and the air is dry.

Tourist Attractions

Uyuni is a small town in southwest Bolivia, located at 3,700 metres above sea level. It is the gateway to the world's largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni, which is the country's most popular tourist attraction. The town itself has an extensive street market and is known for its agriculture of quinoa, llamas, and sheep. Here are some of the top tourist attractions in and around Uyuni:

Salar de Uyuni

Formed by the evaporation of a prehistoric inland ocean, Salar de Uyuni is a vast, blinding white salt desert that spreads over 10,000 square kilometres. The salt flat is a popular destination for perspective-defying photos, especially during the rainy season when it transforms into the world's largest mirror.

Isla Incahuasi

This island, set on the remains of a volcano in the middle of the salt flat, is famous for its panoramic views of the surrounding Salar de Uyuni. Visitors can hike to the top of the island and enjoy the spectacular sight of the sun casting a long shadow over the salar.

Train Cemetery

Located 3 kilometres outside Uyuni, the train cemetery is a reminder of the town's past as a distribution hub for trains carrying minerals to Pacific Ocean ports. Many trains were abandoned when the mining industry collapsed in the 1940s, and now they serve as a unique backdrop for tourist photos.

Tunupa Volcano

Considered sacred by the surrounding communities, the Tunupa Volcano is a popular destination for hiking and enjoying exceptional views of the salt flat. According to legend, the volcano is named after the god of thunder, who had power over thunders, volcanoes, and water.

Polques Hot Springs

These open-air hot thermal pools are famous for their healing waters, which are said to cure arthritis and rheumatism. The springs are located west of Chalviri town and are known for their intense volcanic activity.

Green Lagoon (Laguna Verde)

A high-altitude mineral lake in the Eduardo Avaroa Reserve, the Green Lagoon is known for its beautiful green colour, caused by the high content of magnesium in the geologic formations of the area. The lagoon is surrounded by volcanic black stones and saline rock formations.

Red Lagoon (Laguna Colorada)

A shallow lake within the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, the Red Lagoon is famous for its strong red colour caused by algae that provide food for large flocks of pink flamingos. The lake is also known as the "Nest of the Andes" due to the large number of flamingos that reside there.

Rock Tree (Árbol de Piedra)

The Rock Tree is a tree-like rock formation in the Siloli Desert, shaped by strong winds carrying sand and eroding the soft sandstone. It stands at about 7 metres high and resembles a petrified tree.

Frequently asked questions