Bolivia salar uyuni. Lake Uyuni (salt marsh), Bolivia

In Bolivia there is a unique place where you can feel like you are in endless outer space. This is the Salar de Uyuni salt desert, located in the south of the Altiplano plain at an altitude of 3650 meters above sea level.

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Many thousands of years ago, there was Lake Minchin on the plain, which dried up over the years due to an excessively dry climate. From the big lake there were two small ones left: Poopo and Uru-Uru. The rest of the vast territory of more than 12,000 square kilometers has turned into a vast salt desert, on which the richest deposits of table salt in the world are located - Salar de Caipasa and Salar de Uyuni. The latter is named after the desert itself, reminiscent of the silent white Arctic: the only difference is that instead of bitter cold there is a burning sun, and instead of eternal snow there is salt.

Anyone who finds himself here comes to the thought of the impossibility of any kind of life here, among the salt silence. But the first impression is deceptive: once you start moving along it, you begin to understand that here, too, there is its own unique, special life, the unique flavor of which you will not see anywhere else in the world.

The peculiar life of a salt desert

It’s hard to believe, but even the most beautiful birds – pink flamingos – come here after the rain falls in November and the salt surface is covered with a layer of water. It's mating season for flamingos, so it's no wonder why they choose such an unusual place. Seeing such a spectacle is a real unearthly happiness - a living pink miracle on a mirror surface, reflected in the water along with white clouds. It seems that nothing else can surprise here more than this truly divine contemplation. However, it is too early to think so, because in the Salar de Uyuni there are still corners with incredibly unusual landscapes, looking at which you find yourself in an unreal world of living nature.

Such an amazing corner of the desert is the small cone-shaped island of Inkausi, formed from stony limestone, formed over centuries by the remains of corals and sea shells. Otherwise, this island can be called a reserve of giant cacti, completely covering its surface and representing a fantastic alien picture. The height of some of them reaches 7 meters, and the age is more than 1000 years; the brownish-greenish trunks are so powerful that local residents make furniture from them.

Every day hundreds of tourists in jeeps come here to forget about urban civilization for a while, to feel like aliens from another world, admiring the relic giants. Here you can hide for a few minutes from the scorching sun in a cool grotto located in the center of the island.

The busiest places in the Salar de Uyuni are the lagoons, which are full of life despite the rather uncomfortable climate: huge colonies of geese, flamingos, swans, and ducks live here. Each lagoon has its own specific color created by minerals. Blanca is a white body of water: this is how boron ore colors it; Verde has a greenish color due to copper minerals; Celesto – bright blue due to manganese and magnesium; Amarilla is colored yellow by the sulfur present in it, and Colorada, the most densely populated lagoon, is colored gray, white and reddish.

An exotic natural exhibit is a stone tree, created by the forces of two creators: wind and water. There are springs in the vastness of the desert in which water bubbles, but not ordinary water, but saturated with sulfur and which is healing. There are also geysers floating on the white plain; You can swim in them; hot water perfectly relieves fatigue.

Tourist infrastructure of Salar

The modern tourism industry has mastered all the mysterious unique places on the planet, and Salar de Uyuni also now has the status of a tourist Mecca, where four-day travel routes have been developed. The first day is devoted to viewing the desert itself - an endless white space; The starting point for tourists is the railway station, next to which there is a “train graveyard” left over from salt mining in the first half of the 20th century.

On the second day, you can visit the village of Blogues lt Sal, where the Salt Museum is located, which displays a wide variety of objects made from salt: animal figures, furniture, dishes, household appliances.

The third day is dedicated to getting to know the sulfur springs and geysers and swimming in them, so everyone takes swimming gear with them.

The fourth day of the trip takes place in places with beautiful landscapes and ends with a visit to another unique place, Siliar, where there are giant clay columns formed by wind erosion. The impression is that you are in the Ancient Colosseum; it's hard to put into words.

Unusual hotels in Uyuni

The pilgrimage of tourists entailed the problem of accommodating them, and hotels began to be built here from improvised material - from salt. Salt hotels are also a miracle of their kind - the walls of the building, the roof, the ceilings, furniture, stairs - everything is salt. Tourists who find themselves in them don’t believe their eyes at first, but then they taste everything and are convinced that it really is salt. Hotel owners were forced to introduce measures prohibiting licking and feeling the insides of the room, so as not to spoil the appearance. Among the desert hotels, there are two with 3 stars, 2 with free breakfast, 1 equipped with a Spa center, 1 family-friendly.

All of them are equipped with great comfort: there are showers, baths, steam baths, swimming pools with salt and fresh water, and various medical procedures are carried out. There are also cultural and entertainment programs, tennis courts, golf courses, discos, and bars.

You don't have to worry about food: Bolivian cuisine is very tasty, real delicacies are cooked baked in salt. Nowhere else will you taste llama meat or chicken cooked in such an unusual way, like everything in this fantastic place called Salar de Uyuni!

The most interesting and unusual lake in the world is different from all the others. It amazes the imagination with absolutely fantastic landscapes - tons of salt turn after heavy rains into a smooth, almost mirror-like surface in which the sky is reflected, and it seems that the sky has inexplicably found itself on the surface of the earth.

Deserted white sea

The Salar de Uyuni, located in Bolivia near the city of Uyuni, is world famous. Its interior is covered with hard salt deposits up to 10 meters thick, which can change their color during the day due to the bright sun or pink dawn rays. From a distance, the desert looks endless, with cracked tiles seemingly stretching beyond the horizon.

Amazed tourists are fearlessly allowed into the largest salt mining site (about 25 thousand tons per year), without fear of spoiling the useful mineral, because they say that it will last for several million years. Uyuni (salt marsh) is of great importance for the development of the country's economy, and not only salt is the reason for this. Lithium, used in the production of batteries, is mined here on an industrial scale. Previously, the United States invested huge amounts of money in this particular production, but society had ambivalent reactions to such investment. Many have advocated keeping all profits from lithium mining within Bolivia, and the local government has long been preoccupied with building its own plant.

Geological history

More than 40 thousand years ago, this desert was part of the huge ancient reservoir Minchin, which, when dried, left 2 lakes and 2 salt marshes, separated by hills. In the center of the largest salt desert there are peculiar islands - the tops of previously active volcanoes that have survived to this day.

In prehistoric times they were completely submerged in the water of Minchin, and now the peeking out islands are covered with various fragile fossils. There is a version that the ancient lake went underground, since it is known that the Uyuni salt marsh stores a deep pool under its surface, filled with thick salt blocks. This amazing place is surrounded by mountains, and all the table salt remains at the very bottom of the lake, the water of which contains magnesium chloride and lithium chloride.

Poor flora and fauna

The Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia) is devoid of any flora. If we talk about plants, then only giant cacti make their way through the thickness of salt deposits. Growing up to 12 meters high on a flat desert, they are a truly fantastic sight. At the end of the year (for Bolivia this is summer), amazingly beautiful pink flamingos fly here, walking along the hard surface of the snow-white lake. Researchers know about 80 species of birds that live on the salt marsh. And the poor fauna is represented by colonies of rodents.

Amazing hotels made of salt

Now, near the place where the Uyuni salt marsh is located, there are unusual hotels that cannot be seen in other parts of our planet. Erected in the early 90s, hotels built from salt offered all travelers who had traveled a long distance to relax in their rooms. Having learned about such an interesting innovation, tourists rushed to stay in unique hotels. True, they were later dismantled due to sanitary problems, but soon Uyuni (salt marsh) was replenished with a new modern hotel, built on its outskirts in compliance with construction standards and hygiene standards.

So in Bolivia, salt is not only a food flavor enhancer, but also an excellent building material, from which all blocks of hotels for tourists, furniture in rooms and even clocks with sculptures are made. When staying in hotels with affordable prices for overnight accommodation, all travelers are strictly warned: not to taste anything. However, so far few have resisted such temptation. True, everyone who spent the night in such a room notes that salt remains literally everywhere: on clothes, hair and skin. Therefore, many people prefer traditional hotels to exotic holidays.

Local residents of the village

The magical beauty of the salt marsh lake Uyuni amazes only foreigners with its landscapes, while local residents, accustomed to unusual views since childhood, have to work daily on the surface of the desert, extracting tons of salt. They fold it into neat small piles, which helps the water quickly evaporate, and subsequently such mounds are easy to transport. Many try to survive due to numerous tourist excursions, selling souvenirs (all kinds of crafts), which simply amaze the imagination of tourists with their variety.

By the way, next to the salt marsh there is a small local museum where amazing salt figurines are displayed. And the houses of the residents, located on the outskirts of the village, are built from this solid mineral. Tourists are frozen in place by the stunning view of boiling white streets and houses against the backdrop of an equally snow-white endless field.

Salt marshes of Uyuni: how to get there?

This amazing corner is located at an altitude of approximately 3.6 thousand meters above the ground, which prevents many curious people from reaching their destination. But this even benefits the lost place, because its remoteness from civilization maintains a stable ecological situation.

To get to the most unique point on the globe, you need to get to the town of the same name Uyuni by train, plane or bus. In a small settlement there is a huge number of tourist offices offering their services. If someone does not want to join an organized jeep tour, they can take a private trip by car with a driver who will quickly take them to the desert.

The phenomenon of the sky under your feet

The rainy season here runs from November to March, and the temperature stays at 22 degrees Celsius. On days of heavy rainfall, excursions to the lake are suspended, as salt water can cause corrosion of cars. Despite the fact that winter is quite cool here, the period June-August is the season for tourists from all over the globe. The most beautiful phenomenon is when, after rain, the amazing salt marsh of Uyuni is filled with several centimeters of water. The photo of the mirror surface with the running clouds reflected on it causes genuine amazement in everyone who encounters this phenomenal landscape for the first time.

The space seems to expand, and a visual illusion arises in which it seems as if not the ground under your feet, but the sky itself is thrown down. Visible boundaries disappear in this place, forcing everyone who sees the world inside out to admire the natural attractions. The Salar de Uyuni, protected by mountains, is a quiet and peaceful area with a complete absence of winds. For the sake of the spectacle of the shiny surface, travelers from all over the globe rush to visit this enchantingly beautiful place.

True, many who arrive here experience an unpleasant state of dizziness and shortness of breath associated with acclimatization. And it takes several days for the body to fully get used to being so high above sea level.

Abandoned Train Graveyard

However, before getting to the salt marsh, all travelers visit another attraction of the small town, which once upon a time was the center of the country with railway tracks passing through here. The economic situation, which was not developing in the best way, led to a decrease in income from the mining industry.

The railway in the city is now reminiscent of abandoned carriages and locomotives in the salt desert, which has become a real train cemetery. Local authorities have repeatedly raised the issue of creating a museum on this site, since many of the abandoned specimens are more than 100 years old, and they are all now in a ruined and rusty state. Unfortunately, no one is still working on the open-air cemetery, and the question of preserving the heritage remains open for a long time.

Everyone going on a long journey needs to take certain things with them so that a trip to the Uyuni salt flat (Bolivia) brings only positive emotions.

• Moisturizing cream for constantly dry skin.
• Sunglasses. The light here is so bright that it hurts your eyes.
• Warm clothes, because even in summer there are always cool evenings in the desert.
• A sleeping bag for those who want to watch the sunrise by the lake.
• Rubber boots.
• National flag. There is a special area in front of the salt hotel, inside which tourists leave the symbol of the country as a souvenir.

Conclusion

Lake Uyuni Salt Flat (Bolivia) with its extraterrestrial landscapes will always attract travelers who want to walk across the sky abandoned to the ground and fully enjoy the unique views. The stunning endless expanses will give free rein to the imagination, and the quiet place will remain in the memory for a long time, like a real giant mirror in which clouds are reflected, always rushing somewhere.

The Salar de Uyuni is a dry salt lake in the south of the Altiplano desert plain in Bolivia, at an altitude of about 3650 m above sea level. The area of ​​this unusual place is 10,582 sq. km and it is the largest salt marsh in the world.

The main minerals are halite and gypsum. 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 largest mirror surface in the world.

2. About 40 thousand years ago, this area was part of Lake Minchin. 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.

5. In the middle of the endless mirror space, it seems as if you are on another planet or the end of the world has come.

6. Due to its large size, flat surface and high albedo in the presence of a thin layer of water, as well as minimal altitude deviation, the Salar de Uyuni is an ideal tool for testing and calibrating remote sensing instruments on orbiting satellites. Uyuni's clear skies and dry air allow satellites to be calibrated five times better than using the ocean surface.

10. After a trip to the salt marsh, the car is completely covered with salt and must be thoroughly washed.

11. Thanks to its flat surface, the Uyuni salt flat serves as the main transport route into the Altiplano. An international airport capable of receiving long-haul aircraft is being built near the salt marsh. Its opening is scheduled for 2012.

12. In the center of the salt flats there is a salt hotel, and next to it is a structure made of salt blocks, where tourists coming from all over the world place the flags of their countries. As you can see, there is also a Russian flag.

14. The Uyuni Salar contains a reserve of about 10 billion tons of salt, of which less than 25 thousand tons are extracted annually.

20. Hotels here are built from salt, or rather, from salt blocks. Tables, chairs, beds and other furnishings are also made of salt. And on the walls there are notices with a polite request not to lick anything. You can spend the night in this hotel for $20.

26. Salt restaurant. If suddenly the food turns out to be under-salted and there is no salt shaker nearby, you can lick the table.

28. Salt sculptures.

32. Despite the harsh conditions, several species of cacti grow on this salt marsh, and rare species of hummingbirds, three species of flamingos, ostriches and other living creatures live and breed.

35. 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.

39. Instead of sheep in these parts, there are alpacas. Alpaca wool is used to make warm and soft blankets, rugs and clothes, and fur is used to make household items. Alpaca wool has all the properties of sheep wool, but is much lighter in weight.

41. The strings are tied, apparently, so that they are visible from afar.

42. One of the attractions of the salt marsh, which is also visited by tourists, is the cemetery of steam locomotives, located near the railway tracks from Antofagasta to Bolivia, 3 km from the city of Uyuni. The “cemetery” contains the steam locomotives of the named railway, retired from train service in the 1950s, when mineral production at the surrounding mines fell sharply. In 2006, the local government adopted a 15-year regional development program, one of the points of which is the transformation of the “cemetery” into an open-air museum.

The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia. Photographers come here to capture the unique landscape. It is often visited as part of a 3 or 4 day tour of southwestern Bolivia. We tell you more about it.

general information

Origin of the Uyuni Salt Flat

The Salar de Uyuni includes more than 10,000 sq. km of land in the region. The thickness of the salt layers reaches 10 meters in the center. During the dry season, the salt expanses are covered with dry, flat salt, but during the rainy season, a thin layer of water forms on the surface.

Standard tours originate in the southwestern part of Bolivia. Here you can find many fluorescent lakes, which were created from various minerals brought by mountain rivers.

Tours

We want to outline a standard tour. It is carried out in 4x4 vehicles (usually a Toyota Land Cruiser) with 6 or 7 people and a driver. Most 3- and 4-day tours have similar itineraries for the first 2 days: a day on the salt flat, heading south into the southwestern regions of Bolivia, and then heading back. Specific locations visited may vary by tour, but groups can determine which locations to visit and how much time to spend at each.

Accommodation is usually provided in basic shelters and the weather can be very cold, but it's worth it for the amazing scenery. Avoid tours that offer an overnight stay at one of the salt hotels. They are illegal because they are not part of the water network and pollute the environment.

What to take with you

• Flashlight (torch): The light goes out when the generator runs out.

• Sunglasses: The salt marshes are blinding.

• A camera, an extra battery and plenty of memory cards: there are no better photos than here.

• Additional water: the tour usually provides insufficient quantities. An additional 2 liters per day is required.

• Sunblock and a hat: At 3.5 km above sea level there is significantly less atmosphere to absorb the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

• Sleeping bag. You can rent it. Check and make sure the zipper works.

• Warm clothes - preferably multi-layered.

• Hot Water Heater: When it gets really cold at night, you'll be glad you have a hot water bottle.

• Flip flops: Restrooms are shared.

• Towel: not provided during the excursion.

• Extra snacks, especially fruits and protein. Although quality food is provided, it tends to contain heavy starches.

• Lip balm: Sun, wind and dry air can cause your lips to crack.

How to get there

Uyuni. The route includes a train from Avaroa on the Chilean border (no fixed departure times), a train from Oruro, a bus (including a tourist bus) from Oruro, or La Paz, and a flight from La Paz.

San Pedro de Atacama. The routes from here are almost identical to those from Uyuni, only in the opposite direction and 60% more expensive.

Agency search

When choosing a tour operator, it is important to consult with other travelers to understand what experiences, vehicles, drivers and food they have had on the trip. Trips will start in all cities, so this is a good opportunity to ask other travelers arriving on the route about their experiences. Common complaints are that the vehicles are in very poor technical condition, that there are no emergency supplies, drunk drivers and little food and water.

Uyuni - There are dozens of travel agencies offering this trip. Most of them are located around the main square, where every second store is a travel agency. It is also advisable to find a group of people who go on excursions and share your interests and/or language and work with your agency. Minuteman Pizza in the evenings or the main square is a great place for such people to meet. Ripley Tours can arrange a decent day tour (BOB130).

Tupiza. You can also travel from Tupiza to the Uyuni end or vice versa. Local agencies offer 4-day Uyuni tours, while others prefer to offer 3-day options.

Other excursion options

Ending at the Chilean border. An alternative is to take a three-day tour and drive to the Chilean border before visiting San Pedro de Atacama, or start the entire tour from there. Don't miss out on any of the sights as you leave the Chilean border before heading back to Uyuni.

From San Pedro de Atacama. There is the option to take this tour that starts in San Pedro de Atacama and ends in Uyuni on the third day or returning to San Pedro the next day. The benefit is that you get to see the Salt Flats on the last morning and see the sun rise over them. There are several tour operators on the main street in San Pedro. However, you should take into account the instructions from tour operators that all tours in Uyuni () are managed by Bolivian tour-guides. Chilean tour guides are not allowed to conduct excursions in Uyuni.

Selecting a trip

There are several options for visiting the Uyuni salt flat. Starting your journey from La Paz, you need to take a bus to Oruro and then take a train to Uyuni. After a pleasant 7-hour drive, you will arrive in Uyuni at night. You can book a hotel in Uyuni or one of the hotels built in the salt blocks located near the salt flats. The next day you will begin your journey towards Uyuni with the aim of visiting Colchani. This is a small town where you can buy salt crafts. From this place there is an unimaginable and breathtaking view of the largest salt desert in the world, whose area is approximately 12,000 square meters. km! You'll begin the journey by watching the water bubbling on the surface in the so-called "eyes of the water", and you'll also see the villagers working to extract salt for sale.

Next you can go to Incahuasi Island, or Fish Island. The island is located in the heart of the salt marsh and is characterized by the presence of giant cacti. You can stroll around the island, enjoying breathtaking views of the salt marsh and appreciating the great white intertwined with the Andean sky. This is the best place to photograph the salt marsh. Later, you can continue your journey, still oriented southwest towards the colored lagoons (red, blue, white, yellow and green) located in the Parque Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa.

These places are occupied by volcanoes, and from here a wonderful and incredible view opens up. On some excursions you can visit the Cave of Galaxy and the Devil's Cave. Lagoons are so named because of the different tones that occur due to the presence of algae, water chemistry, wind movement, or the time of day. When you return to Uyuni, you can visit the town and the train cemetery. You will also be able to see one of the most majestic sunsets of your life on the salt marsh!

By plane

By bus

For travelers on a budget, there is also the option of simply catching the local bus to Colcani BOB10. Ask the driver to leave you in the Salt Flats and you can explore on foot and for free to get a better idea of ​​the place. The journey to the old salt hotel takes about two hours.

Clue:

Uyuni - the time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow 7

Kazan 7

Samara 8

Ekaterinburg 9

Novosibirsk 11

Vladivostok 14

When is the season? When is the best time to go

Uyuni - weather by month

Clue:

Uyuni - weather by month

Where to go, walk, go...

First day - the world's largest salt marsh

On the first day you will visit salt flat. In 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 journeys start here, next to the train station at 10.30, although it is possible to get there from the hotel.

Train Graveyard. The tour usually occurs at the very beginning of the tour, but some operators choose to end the tour with this location. There are many destroyed old steam locomotives here.

Colchani, Bloques de Sal- a village 7 km north of Uyuni. Here you can buy souvenirs made from salt. There is also a salt museum here, which has various animals created from salt (you will be forced to pay a fee upon leaving), as well as some pieces of furniture and household appliances. Bathrooms are available for 1 Boliviano.

Salt mining area- an area where salt is dug up and left in piles (weighing a ton) to dry in the sun for transport to the refinery.

Salt hotels- several hotels are made entirely of salt. You must buy a candy bar to go inside.

I sla 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 fossilized coral, 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. Here you can also see Vizcacha. Most tour groups dine on the western "shore" of this island. Bathrooms are available for 1 Boliviano.

Accommodation can be found in the city of San Juan, although for the real experience it is best to try to find hotels closer to the Salar. Then it will be possible to get up before dawn and reach the plains in 4x4 jeeps to see the most spectacular sunrise of your life. Moreover, in the main “salt hotels” you can take a shower for 10 Bolivianos and charge your camera.

Day two - heading south to the colorful lakes of Laguna Colorado

Edionda Lagoon. The lagoon is full of flamingos and is a popular lunch spot.

Vizcacha zone- a short stop on a rocky outcrop, is a colony of viscacha. The guides feed them carrots, teaching them to come out and eat.

Arbol de Piedra (4,412 m)- a stone tree that was carved by strong sandy winds.

Laguna Colorado- red lake with algae. You will also be able to see many flamingos. 30 Bolivianos for Bolivian citizens or 150 Bolivianos for foreigners is the entrance fee to the Andina Eduardo Avaroa National Wildlife Refuge.

Accommodation. In the area around Laguna Colodardo there are numerous unheated huts. Beds and blankets are provided. There is electricity for several hours, but the battery usually cannot be recharged. Ambient temperatures in July can drop below -20°C at night. You can persuade the owner to turn on the water heater (15 bolivianos), but the showers are located outside the house.

Third day, morning - geysers and hot springs in Laguna Verde

The day starts early in the morning (5.00) and without breakfast, in order to have time to visit all the necessary places.

SolardeManaña Geyser Basin (4,850 m)- a collection of bubbly gray pools and a geyser, usually visited when the sun rises. There are no railings, it can be slippery and the water in the cave can look hot.

Hot springs Termasde Polques are located next to Salar de Chalviri. You can bring your own swimwear to enjoy the springs. Popular place for breakfast. Basic bathrooms are available for 6 bolivianos.

Laguna Verde(painted green, it contains heavy metals arsenic, lead, copper and others) with a magnificent view of the Lincacabur volcano.

Laguna Blanca- a white lake filled with boron ore.

Dinner. Laguna Colorado is a popular place to dine. Sometimes toilets are provided.

Afternoon - East of Tupiza

If you choose a four day tour to Tupiza, you will go off the beaten path and visit some small communities.

Laguna Celeste- a bright blue lake, colored by magnesium and manganese.

Amarilla Lagoon- a yellow sulfur lake and several old rock paintings nearby.

Ruinas de San Antonio- an abandoned 16th-century mining town where slave labor was used. The city was abandoned for reasons not fully understood. Despite all attempts, the city could not be populated in the 70s, and people now live in a city with the same name, which is located nearby.

Afternoon - north of Uyuni

The road back to Uyuni is very rough. Along the way you will stop at various small communities.

Valles de Rocas. Lots of strange mountain valleys emerging from the Altiplano. The guide will point out patterns in the rocks that resemble familiar objects.

Accommodation - tourists stop in different towns along the way to their destination. Heating and showers will depend on where the driver decides to stop.

Day four - trip ends in Tupiza

The tour will pass through an area with beautiful scenery.

Silar- giant clay columns formed as a result of erosion.

Day four - ends in Uyuni

San Cristobal- a city in which there is a 350-year-old church, which has a very beautiful silver altar.

Train Graveyard- a collection of vintage trains 3 kilometers southwest of Uyuni.

Food. What to try

Safety. What to watch out for

Be careful: every year accidents occur in the salt cave due to drunk drivers. Don't risk your life by traveling with a drunk driver.

It's a good idea to bring essentials (including food and water for a few days) in case the truck breaks down in a hard-to-reach spot, but if you're on a tour, there'll likely be another truck available within minutes.

You may develop altitude sickness here. If you are staying directly off the coast, it may take up to several days for you to acclimatize. Dizziness, difficulty breathing and headaches are common symptoms. Locals say chewing coca leaves can relieve symptoms, but they can also cause drug tests to fail. If one is not fully acclimatized, a few acetazolamide tablets can be purchased from the Uyuni pharmacy before departure.

You can also drink coca leaf tea. Everyone from the Pope to Queen Sofia of Spain drinks it when visiting Bolivia. Adding a little sugar can make your tea even better!

To avoid altitude sickness, gradual adaptation to altitude is recommended. First visit the Bolivian Plain, located 500 m from, then it is recommended to move on to the Cochabamba Valley, located at an altitude of 2,500 m, and only then make a trip to Salar de Uyuni. If you don't even want to do a 3 or 4 day tour, keep in mind that you will be climbing to 5000m and sleeping at 4200m. This is a serious risk to your health if you are not acclimatized. The officially recommended altitude per day is only 300 m! Therefore, you should not start with Tupiza (3,000 m) or Uyuni (3,700 m). Stay there for a few days before starting your tour. The German embassy in La Paz has already set up a room to cool the corpses of those who died from altitude sickness!

Warning about certain travel companies

On December 24, 2011, a vehicle operated by Oasis Tours (also known as Oasis Odyssey Tours) was involved in a serious accident due to negligent driving. The driver was driving the car at a speed of 100 km/h on a wet muddy road from San Cristobal to Uyuni. The driver lost control, the car went off the side of the road, rolled over twice and landed on its roof.

One passenger was seriously wounded in the head and was bleeding while being pulled out and required emergency medical attention. Another passenger suffered a traumatic brain injury. Other passengers had various scratches and bruises. Passengers who did not require emergency medical treatment headed back to Uyuni to contact the travel agency.

The travel agency actively refused all attempts to collect information about the passenger who was taken to the hospital. When the police were involved, the tour company continued to actively deny that they had this information. The travel agency also refused to offer any compensation, including reimbursement of expenses.

The travel agency insisted that their attitude and that of the driver had nothing to do with criminal negligence. Most other cars on the same road drive at a speed of no more than 30 km/h. Many are even less than 20 km/h. And at a speed of 20 km/h there were occasional accidents. Please take this into account when booking specifically with this travel agency. Look at the name of the poster on the car that is assigned to you. If the driver is driving carelessly, ask him to change his driving style.

Also beware of the tour operator Dali Tours. It is located on Ferrovaria Avenue on the train station side. Website by (not working). Tourists ordered an individual tour there for a high price, but received a simple, standard tour. Instead of a double room, they got two beds in a ten-bed dorm. Instead of interesting roads, they had a simple fast ride, with the driver cutting corners whenever he could. No sunsets or even small excursions - nothing. The woman at the agency will sell you everything, but you won't be able to find her after the trip. So all you can do is write about it here.

Brief conclusion:

▫ Book no need online(more expensive and useless)
▫ In Uyuni, we immediately go to agencies and choose who we like. All of them are opposite the railway station, coordinates: -20.463591, -66.823359

▫ All tours start from Uyuni to 10.00-10.30
▫ Agencies are open from 7.00 to 19-20.00. If you arrive by night bus, you have time to book a tour for today, buy a hat and have breakfast.

▫ We bought in Andes Salt Expeditions, but everything depends on the guide-driver, and not on the agency. Three days tour 105$ + additional payment for the national park 22$

▫ You don’t have to spend the night in Uyuni, tours end at 17.00 . Then by night bus to where the free wind calls

▫ « Mirror"should be during the rainy season from January to early April. In fact, in 2018, there was water in the salt marsh in May and even in July.

Bolivian Altiplano, Lagoon Colorada

Below there will be a lot about prices. Multiply the amount in Bolivians by 10 to get ≈ in rubles.

How to get to Uyuni

▪ Airplane from La Paz, 45 minutes, 80-95$ one way

▪ Bus

From Potosi - 4 hours, from 20 BOB / 3$
From Tupis - 6 hours, from 40 BOB / 6$
From La Paz - 10 hours, from 60 BOB / 9$
Tickets at ticketsbolivia.com or at the station.

There is only a direct bus from La Paz to Uyuni. at night. 15$ for seven-kama and 22$ behind cama (expands 160 degrees).

During the day with a transfer in Oruro. We took tickets at the station on the day of departure, there are many buses, not all of them are available on the Internet. We went like this:

La Paz-Oruro, 9.30, 30 BOB ( 5$ )
Oruro-Uyuni, 14.00, 30 BOB ( 5$ ). The road is good, the information about poor coverage is outdated.
Arrived in Uyuni 18.00 , spent the night, and in the morning we left on a tour for three days.

We went during the day because at night we wanted to sleep in bed. During the day the buses are cheap, old and uncomfortable. From La Paz to Oruro, the guy sold impotence powder. I yelled into the microphone for 3 hours to the whole salon. I wanted to kill him, but people liked the speech - they bought everything.

If you know how to sleep on a bus, take a ticket for night tourist no transfers. It’s quiet there, the backrests recline (you’re almost lying down), they give you food.

Uyuni on the map

Hotels in Uyuni

We booked Castillo de Liliana for one night, rating 7.3, $25. Pros: hot water, heater, breakfast, check-out at 10.30. The downside is that the bed linen was not changed, overall, wow.

Returning from the tour, we spent the night at Hotel Jumari, rating 8.6 , paid 50$ for a double with shower. There was a heater, hot water and a clean bed, better than the first option.

Sal Casa Andina stands out from a number of monotonous lodging houses (rating 9.2 ), but it's worth it 90$.

Prices for tours to Uyuni

Price per one on Spanish. On English 30-50% more expensive. I indicate average prices. Includes transportation, overnight accommodation, food, guide services (the driver will say a few words about each place).

1$ ≈ 7 bolivians (BOB)
1 BOB ≈ 9 rubles

1. Tour to 1 day(locomotive cemetery, Dakar statue, Uyuni salt marsh, cactus island, museum). 150 BOB + 30 BOB for the island of cacti. Total $26

2. Tour to 2 days(everything above + two lagoons and/or ascent to the Tunupa volcano, 4500 m), 500-550 BOB + 30 BOB for cacti. Total $84

3. Tour to 3 days(everything in the first + volcanoes + colorful lagoons with flamingos, geysers, swimming in thermal springs)

The lower threshold according to reviews is 600 BOB / 90$ (did not find such a price), average tour 720-850 BOB + 30 BOB cactus island (optional) + 150 BOB entry to Laguna Colorada National Park (required) + 6 BOB hot springs (optional). Total $130

Transfer to Chile is possible for a surcharge 10$ or return to Uyuni.

4. Tour to 4 days, ≈180$, return to the city of Tupiza, from there you can go to Argentina

How to choose a tour operator?

Salar de Uyuni

There are more than 50 operators in Uyuni. Those in the top ten according to tripadvisor reviews are located opposite the train station. They drive in their own cars or hire freelance drivers.

We went to eight agencies. I wanted to find a jeep where there would be fewer people. The price and program are the same for everyone. Jeeps carry 6 passengers + driver. Departure to 10.00-10.30

We took a tour to Andes Salt Expeditions behind 105$ per person. They are #3 on tripadvisor and ready to negotiate. We bought it an hour before departure, no need to book in advance.

Overall ok. He was driven by a smart guy (he warmed up the car, treated him to lollipops, and joked).

It is believed that the best time in Uyuni is February-early April, when there is water and a mirror effect. We were in mid-May. The driver knew where to look for the “mirror” at this time and made a detour on his own initiative.

I read hundreds of reviews about tours with different agencies, and they all had mistakes. Cars break down, delays, delays. It will be ideal only if you take an individual tour / rent a car and go according to your program. Private tours for 3 days ≈ $700-800.

What to take on tour?

In such clothes it is warm in the evening and in the morning, during the day you can go without a jacket and hat

▪ Toilet paper, soap - you can buy it in the night shelters on the salt marsh, but it’s just 3 times more expensive. I rented a towel at the hotel for 5 BOB ($0.7)

▪ Small money. Toilets during the tour cost from 2 to 5 BOB

▪ Power bank for the phone (there were no sockets during the second night)

▪ Chocolates, icicles, tangerines, water (3 liters was enough for two)

▪ Warm clothes: hat, gloves, jacket, sneakers, thermal socks. Sunglasses, cap, 50 sfs cream (not needed), sleeping bag (optional). Flip flops for the shower, swimsuit and towel for the hot springs.

Backpacks with MacBooks and summer clothes were left at the agency. Take with you only small backpacks with the necessary items. You can take a large backpack, it will go on the roof of the jeep.

Internet and money

There is no connection during the tour.

There were sockets only on the first night (about 30 in the common room)

There are ATMs in Uyun. Change currency at a bank, but it is better in La Paz (the exchange rate is more favorable).

We paid for the tour in dollars, for the hotel and cafe in Bolivians.

It's hard to breathe due to the height and strong wind

Altitude and mountain sickness

The heights are:
City of Uyuni, 3700 m
Solonchak, 3650 m
Overnight in San Juan, 3900 m
Overnight in the Colorado Lagoons National Park, 4400 m
Geysers, 5000 m

Below 4000 meters everything is ok. It's hard to spend the night at 4400. I had a headache and even missed dinner.

The French in our group drank three bottles of beer every evening and cheerfully ran around the Altiplano. The driver was chewing coca and looked great. Everything is individual.

Tour program by day

1200 km in three days on roads without asphalt

Day 1

▪ Locomotive Cemetery, 20 minutes. Trains used to carry useful metals and minerals to Chile. Then everything was covered, the locomotives were abandoned.

▪ Village with souvenirs, 1 hour

▪ Saline Uyuni. Dakar statue, island with flags (no Belarusian ones)

▪ Dinner in a hotel made of salt. The drivers carried food with them. We had llama meat(haven't tried it), rice, salad, banana, omelette.

▪ Salt marsh again, games with perspective

▪ Incahuasi Cactus Island, entrance 30 BOB. You can climb for free somewhere on the side. We didn’t go to the island, we hid in its shadow and enjoyed the absolute silence.

Cacti 12 m tall

▪ "Mirror"— we stopped by where the water remained in May. The Italians took mirror photos of themselves. It came out beautifully. At the same time, the boots were bleached with salt.

▪ We drove past fields with quinoa, watched how the grains were separated from the spikelets (they rode on them in a jeep).

▪ At 18.00 we arrived at the hotel from salt. A room with two beds, shower and toilet for everyone. We slept in our clothes.

Shower is paid 10 BOB. I quickly went because an hour later 7 more cars (40 people) arrived at the hotel.

For dinner, chicken, fries, fried eggs.

Day 2

▪ Breakfast at the hotel (tea, rolls, jam). Departure at 7.30

▪ The railway and volcanoes of Chile in the distance

▪ Observation room with a view of the volcano

▪ Canapa Lagoon, flamingos

▪ Hedionda Lagoon, more flamingos. Lunch here and 2 hours

▪ Another lagoon where no one wants to live

▪ Arbol de Piedra- many, many stones and a “Stone Tree”. Four viscachas (mountain viscachas) met there. This is such a huge rabbit with the tail of a squirrel and the behavior of a chinchilla. He eats from his hands and allows him to stroke his head.

▪ Laguna Colorada— a red lagoon and thousands of flamingos somewhere far below. We flew to Bolivia for the winter from Chile and Argentina. How are they not blown away by the wind? Here they paid for entry into the national park 150 BOB (22$ )