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On both tours our drivers found spots with no one else around and brought dinosaur toys and wine bottles to use in the shots. The Dakar monument is made of salt, and the flags were left by travelers during their visits. It’s located near the Argentine border and a bit farther from the Uyuni salt flats. In Uyuni, there are plenty of travel agencies offering Salar de Uyuni tours. Unfortunately, standard 2-day tours don’t include these highlights.
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
Some tours include an overnight stay near the salt flats, while others return to Uyuni the same day. Three- and four-day tours to the salt flats operate from here, and booking a guided tour is strongly recommended, as crossing the border independently can be challenging. When visiting the breathtaking salt flats, consider enhancing your experience by staying at a hotel made entirely of salt.
What is Salar de Uyuni
Here’s all you need to know about this unique experience. The fields of salt, extending as far as the eye can see and backed by distant mountains, create one of the most dramatic and unique vistas on Earth. Salar de Uyuni is the remains of an enormous prehistoric lake. In February 2024, the Copernicus Sentinel-3B mission conducted calibration activities over the salar for its Synthetic Aperture Radar Altimeter (SRAL). As part of its validation strategy, CryoSat-2 has relied on the salar, where its Interferometric synthetic-aperture radars (InSAR) capabilities were reinstated to enhance the precision of altimetric observations. The mission focused on calibrating radar-based measurements of surface topography.
From strange islands in a sea of blindingly bright salt to delicately colored mineral lakes in the Andean mountains, this is an unforgettable Bolivian landscape. When it dried up, it left a couple of seasonal puddles and several salt pans, including Salar de Uyuni. It was part of a prehistoric salt lake, Lago Minchín, which once covered most of southwest Bolivia. The world’s largest salt flat sits at a lofty 3653m (11,985ft) and blankets an amazing 12,000 sq km (4633 sq miles).
- Pocket Guides are compact guides for short trips that offer the best local experiences.
- You may also observe how the salt is extracted, processed and rolled into souvenirs, which is an ideal method of helping communities locally.
- This is the area where salt is dug up, piled into large pyramid-shaped mounds, and left to dry in the sun.
- Most people time their arrival for the morning of the start of their tour.
- High altitude → thin air → less scatteringWhite salt → strong reflectionFlat surface → no curvature effects
- Colchani is a small salt-processing village 20 km south of Uyuni.
- The first such hotel, named Palacio de Sal, was erected in 1993–1995 in the middle of the salt flat, and soon became a popular tourist destination.
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- Through its reliable brands such as Gokite Oman, your journey to the largest salt flat in the world will be continuous, natural and memorable.
- Omani and other GCC Nationalities are generally required to seek a Bolivia travel visa prior to arrival.
- Take altitude seriously, and make sure you acclimatize properly before a tour to fully enjoy the beauty of Salar de Uyuni.
- We visited these hot springs on our 2017 tour.
- These islands are the tops of ancient volcanic domes that remained above water even when the whole area was a lake.As the lakes dried and the salt crust formed, the domes stayed as isolated high points.
The hotel has a dry sauna and a steam room, a saltwater pool and whirlpool baths. The local communities and tour operators are making efforts to save the delicate salt ecosystem, control the waste disposal system and make sure that the tourism is profitable to the locals. It serves as a reminder of the industrial background of the region and forms a great photo opportunity to the visitors. Salar de Uyuni is also known to have salt hotels wherein even the walls, furniture and bed are designed using salt blocks.
However, if you are travelling from La Paz (which is at a similar altitude) or Cusco (just 250 m lower) then you will likely be fine as you should have acclimatised. For private tours expect to pay significantly more. These are shared tours with usually five or six people per jeep.
The night sky is bright with stars, constellations, and even Milky Way which is perfectly reflected on the mirror-like surface with minimal light pollution and high altitude (wet season). There are reputable travel firms such as Gokite Oman which may help to organize well-curated tours with local Bolivian firms. When Opera Exploring Salar de Uyuni and the natural wonders around it, it is one of the most photogenic places to visit.
Many first-time visitors to the area (including me!) are surprised to discover how much there is to see beyond the salt flat itself. The first such hotel, named Palacio de Sal, was erected in 1993–1995 in the middle of the salt flat, and soon became a popular tourist destination. The lithium in the salt flats contains more impurities, and the wet climate and high altitude make it harder to process. Through its reliable brands such as Gokite Oman, your journey to the largest salt flat in the world will be continuous, natural and memorable. By choosing green tours and taking care of any natural environment, it is possible to ensure that the future generations can still keep Exploring Salar de Uyuni in all its impeccable beauty.
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It’s an absolute must-visit if you’re exploring Bolivia and South America. It’s a vast expanse of salt stretching to the horizon. If you’re travelling from Peru, the easiest route is via Peru Hop to La Paz, followed by the overnight bus to Uyuni. The most popular starting point for exploring Salar de Uyuni is the town of Uyuni, especially for travellers coming from within Bolivia. December offers the most sunshine, with an average of 7 hours of sunlight per day. January is the hottest month in Uyuni, with an average temperature of 15 °C (59 °F), while July is the coldest, averaging 12 °C (54 °F).
One-day tours generally visit the Train Graveyard, Colchani, salt flats and Incahausi Island. If taking a multi-day tour of the salt flats, it’s likely you’ll spend the night at one of the area’s unique salt hotels. However, despite a small size, Uyuni has comfortable hotels, restaurants, and travel firms which arrange multi-day tours through the salt desert.
Across more than 10,000 square kilometers, the elevation difference is barely around one meter.This is almost impossible in natural landscapes. The foundation of Salar de Uyuni goes back to a sequence of lakes that filled the Altiplano basin during the Pleistocene.In the past, huge inland lakes—like the prehistoric Lake Minchin—covered the region. Lisa is a writer and traveller who left her nine-to-five in London for life on the road.
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It is possible to visit the salt flats independently and while I was there I saw people camping with bikes! In the dry season there is no water layer, instead you can observe the hexagonal salt tiles that form on the surface. If you’re only interested in seeing the salt flat itself and snapping some awesome perspective photos, then the one-day option may be for you.
We chose a Spanish-speaking tour, and our basic Spanish was more than enough. It’s worth mentioning that you will spend most of your time in the car. So, below are a few points to know before choosing a tour. I recommend booking in person, as it’s usually cheaper.
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world, with an area of approximately 10,582 square kilometres (4,086 mi2). Sustainability has gained a critical concern as an increasing number of tourists head to Salar de Uyuni. When you are travelling to other neighbouring countries such as Chile or Peru, over land routes via San Pedro de Atacama and Puno are equally beautiful scenic routes as you go. The vast majority of the visitors arrive at Salar de Uyuni through the Bolivian capital, La Paz. According to many travelers it is one of the most intense stargazing moments of their existence.
These islands are the tops of ancient volcanic domes that remained above water even when the whole area was a lake.As the lakes dried and the salt crust formed, the domes stayed as isolated high points. Since the salt flat is already extremely smooth, this water film becomes a near-perfect reflective layer. When water levels dropped, evaporation increased.And every time the water pulled back, it left behind thick salt deposits, clays, silts, and evaporite minerals. This is produced by a water layer that sits on top of the salt in the wet season (December to April). It’s also possible to take private tours for the ultimate customised experience.
If you have enough time, I highly recommend taking a 3-day tour. You’ll follow the same itinerary as the first day of the 2-day and 3-day tours. Tour options from Uyuni include 1-day, 2-day, and 3-day tours that end either in Uyuni or in San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). It is located a short drive from the edge of the Uyuni salt flats. From Colchani, you walk on the salt flats to the Dakar Monument and Flag Monument.
There are ATMs in Uyuni but these are not always reliable so it’s best to bring some extra cash from wherever you are travelling. Note also that Incahausi island is sometimes inaccessible during the rainy season. Some people are keen to observe the mirror effect on the salt flat. Aim to begin your tour the same day, otherwise you’ll have a whole day to waste.