Salt lake Uyuni. A detailed guide to the Salar de Uyuni. Local residents of the village

There is a unique place in Bolivia where you can feel yourself in the boundless outer space. This is the salt desert Salar de Uyuni, it is located in the south of the Altiplano plain at an altitude of 3650 meters above sea level.

A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the site until August 31:

• AF500guruturizma - promo code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
• AFTA2000Guru - promo code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Thailand from 100,000 rubles.

And you will find many more advantageous offers from all tour operators on the website. Compare, choose and book tours at the best prices!

Many millennia ago, there was Lake Minchin on the plain, which dried up over the years due to the extremely arid climate. Two small ones remained from the large lake: Poopo and Uru-Uru. The rest of the vast territory of more than 12,000 square kilometers has turned into a boundless salt desert, which contains the richest salt deposits in the world - Salar de Caipasa and Salar de Uyuni. The latter is named like the desert itself, reminiscent of the silent white Arctic: the only difference is that instead of severe cold, there is a burning sun, and instead of eternal snows, salt.

The one who finds himself here comes up with the idea of ​​the impossibility of some kind of life here, among the salty silence. But the first impression is deceptive: as soon as you start moving along it, you begin to understand that here too there is its own unique, special life, the unique color of which you will not see anywhere else in the world.

The peculiar life of the salt desert

It is hard to believe, but even the most beautiful birds fly here - pink flamingos after it rains in November and the salt surface is covered with a layer of water. Flamingos are in their mating season, no wonder why they choose such an unusual place. Seeing such a spectacle is a real unearthly happiness - on a mirror surface, a living pink miracle 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, because there are still corners in the Salar de Uyuni with incredibly unusual landscapes, looking at which, you find yourself in the unreal world of wildlife.

Such an amazing corner of the desert is the small cone-shaped island of Inkausi, formed from stone limestone, formed over the 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 the locals make furniture out of them.

Every day, hundreds of tourists in jeeps drive up 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 most lively places in the Salar de Uyuni are the lagoons, in which life is seething despite the rather uncomfortable climate: huge colonies of geese, flamingos, swans, ducks live here. Each lagoon has its own specific color created by minerals. Blanca - a white reservoir: this is how boron ore stains it; Verde has a greenish color due to copper minerals; Celesto - bright blue due to manganese and magnesium; Amarilla is colored yellow by the gray that is present in it, while Colorada - the most densely populated lagoon - is colored in gray, white and reddish colors.

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, but saturated with sulfur and being curative. There are also geysers floating on the white plain; you can swim in them, hot water perfectly relieves fatigue.

Tourist infrastructure of the 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 allotted for viewing the actual desert itself - an endless white space; the starting point for tourists is the railway station, next to which is the "cemetery of trains" left over from the salt mining of 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 presents a variety of objects made from salt: animal figures, furniture, dishes, household appliances.

The third day is devoted to acquaintance with sulfur springs and geysers, swimming in them, so everyone takes bathing accessories 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 led to the problem of their accommodation, and here they began to build hotels from improvised material - from salt. Salt hotels are also a miracle of their kind - the walls of the building, the roof, ceilings, furniture, stairs - everything is salt. Tourists who got into them, at first do not believe their eyes, and then they taste everything and make sure that it really is salt. Hotel owners were forced to introduce measures prohibiting licking and touching the inside of the room, so as not to spoil the appearance. Among the hotels in the desert, there are two with 3 stars, 2 with free breakfast, 1 is equipped with a Spa center, 1 is family.

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

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

Lake Uyuni Salt Flats is one of the most interesting, unusual and beautiful lakes in Bolivia. The reason for this is that this lake is completely different from our usual understanding of the lake. Uyuni is known all over the world, because its area is 10,582 sq. km. and it is considered the largest salt lake in the world

Sometimes, traveling in the most forgotten and abandoned place on the planet, where people should not live, in a desert located at an altitude of almost 4000 meters, you can stumble upon a truly unforgettable sight. Just imagine - a huge, solid Lake Uyuni, with an area of ​​​​more than 10,000 square kilometers, the surface of which is completely mirrored and almost completely flat. Once in such a place, it is quite possible to feel like on another planet.

But, one has only to bend down and try to taste what is under your feet, as everything becomes very clear - this is salt! A mountain of salt, a sea of ​​salt, a desert of salt - this is the Uyuni Salt Flats, this is ten billion tons of salt!

So, Salar Uyuni (Spanish Salar de Uyuni) is a dried-up salt lake in the south of the Altiplano desert plain, Bolivia at an altitude of about 3650 m above sea level. Has an area of ​​10,582 km? 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.

Lake Uyuni is an almost dried-up salt lake, which is located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni. The most important mineral resources that it has are the minerals halite and gypsum. Uyuni itself is one large clot of salt, covering its entire bottom to a depth of 8 meters. During the rainy season in Bolivia, the lake is filled with a small amount of water and in doing so forms the world's largest mirror. From an economic point of view, this salt marsh is of great importance for Bolivia, in view of its colossal salt reserves, which are still being mined to this day. In total, there are about 10 billion tons of salt here.

The thickness of the salt layer at the bottom of the salt marsh varies from 2 to 8 meters, depending on the bottom topography.

The salt of the Uyuni Salt Flats is used not only for food and souvenirs for curious tourists. They even build it here, and inside the premises literally everything is made of salt - beds, couches, tables. Groups of overnight travelers get the chance to spend the night in a unique salt hotel, which costs about $ 20 per night.

The only thing that is forbidden to do inside such buildings, although you really want to, is to lick everything around. But, after the disappearance of the furniture, the owners forbade this behavior, and hung around the announcement: “do not lick!”

Here you can admire some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Magnificent landscapes with impressive salt deserts, active volcanoes, cactus islands and geysers. And all this looks like extraterrestrial landscapes - there are only a few such places on Earth

Geysers of Uyuni:

Giant petrified trees:

And many salt pyramids:

The uniqueness of Lake Uyuni is beneficial even in astronautics - due to its large size, flat surface and high albedo in the presence of a thin layer of water, as well as a small height deviation, the Uyuni salt marsh is the most suitable tool for testing and calibrating remote sensing instruments on orbiting satellites. The clear sky and dry air of Uyuni make it possible to calibrate satellites many times more accurately than if the surface of the world's oceans were used for this.

You admired the magnificent scenery of Lake Uyuni - I hope you enjoyed it!

SalardeUyuni/ Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)
The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia.
Geography:
The Salar de Uyuni includes over 12,000 sq. km of land in the Potosi region. During the dry season, the salt flats are covered with dry, flat salt, but during the rainy season, the flats are covered with a thin layer of water.
This place was created as a result of the transformation of several prehistoric lakes. It is covered with salt crusts, protruding to a height of several meters. They contain 50 to 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. Dry weather prevails in the western region, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert.
The area has a relatively stable temperature of 21°C in November-January and a low of 13°C in June. At night, however, it is 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 high from April to November, however, January is the rainy season.
Hotels:
Many hotels have been built in the area of ​​the salt desert. Due to the lack of conventional building materials, many of them are built almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) from salt blocks carved in the area. The first such hotel was built in 1995 and soon became a popular tourist destination.
Tour:
Standard tours originate in the south towards the southwestern part of Bolivia. Here you can find many lakes with fluorescent colors, which were created from a set of different minerals from the runoff from the surrounding mountains.
The standard tour is conducted in 4x4 vehicles (usually Toyota Landcruisers) with 6 or 7 people, with a driver. Most 3 and 4 day tours follow the same itinerary for the first 2 ½ days, a day in the salt flat and then heading south to the southwest region of Bolivia and then returning back.
Accommodation is usually provided at base camps and the weather can be very cold, but it's worth it to see the amazing scenery.
First day - the world's largest salt flat
On the first day you will visit the salt flat. In the dry season, it will be a hallucinatory 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 am, although it can also be reached from the hotel.
• Train graveyard - 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. Salt souvenirs can be purchased here. There is also a salt museum in which there are carved animals created from salt, there are also some pieces of furniture and household appliances. Paid entrance.
• Salt mining area - 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 are a few 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 you can easily calculate their age. Most tourist groups dine on the western "shore" of this island.

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

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

• Hedionda Lagoon is full of flamingos and is a popular place for lunch.
• ArboldePiedra is a stone tree that has been carved by strong, sandy winds.

• The Viscacha area - a short stop on a rocky ledge, is a Viscachas colony.
• The Colorada Lagoon is a red lake with algae. You can also see many flamingos.

Third day, morning - geysers and hot springs in Laguna Verde ( Verde).
The day starts early in the morning (5 am) and without breakfast in order 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 is up.
• Hot springs Termasde Polques - located next to the Salar de Chalviri. To enjoy the springs, you can bring your own swimming equipment. Popular place for breakfast.
• Lagoon Verde - decorated in green, it contains such heavy metals as arsenic, lead, copper, with a perfect view of the Lincacabur volcano

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

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

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

• Celeste Lagoon is a bright blue lake colored with magnesium and manganese.
• Amarilla Lagoon - a yellow sulfur lake and some old rock paintings nearby.
• Ruinas de 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 uneven, stop at a few small communities along the way:

• VallesdeRocas - many strange mountain valleys.

Fourth day - the trip ends at Tupiza.
The tour will take a long time through a beautiful landscape. The last activity before arriving in Tupiza is the Sillar. In this place there are giant clay columns formed due to erosion.
Fourth day ends at Uyuni.

• San Cristobal is a town with a 350 year old church and a very beautiful silver altar.
• Train Graveyard - 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.

Imagine an endless salt field larger than Cyprus or Luxembourg. It doesn’t fit in my head, but this exists in Bolivia and is called Salar de Uyuni(Salar de Uyuni). This is the largest salt marsh in the world (10.5 thousand sq. km). The thickness of the salt is from 2 to 8 meters. Height above sea level 3656 meters. During the rainy season, Uyuni is covered with a small layer of water and turns into the largest mirror in the world.

Today I will talk about our 3 day jeep tour of the Salar de Uyuni and the Bolivian Altiplano as well as all the practical information:

• how to get to uyuni,
• how to book a tour and what to expect from it, types of tours and how much it costs,
• what things to take with you (since not all of this is obvious, and travel agencies are silent about this),
• and how you can watch it for free.

Types of trips in Uyuni and the Bolivian Altiplano

Uyuni and Altiplano tours usually last from 1 to 5 days. Tours are standard, even if they tell you that it is in their agency that they have some kind of unique tour;)

Uyuni Day Tour

On this tour, only the Salar de Uyuni itself and what is on it is usually visited: the cemetery of steam locomotives, the salt hotel, various places on the salt marsh, the island of Incahuasi (Incahuasi). The cost varies depending on the season, on average 250-300 bolivianos ($36-43). In the rainy season, Incahuasi Island is not reached.

Two day tour of Uyuni and Tunupa Volcano

On the first day they drive along the salt marsh, spend the night in a salt hotel, on the second day they climb the Tunupa volcano from 4200 to 4500 meters, and return to the city. Prices are 450-500 bolivianos ($65-72).

Uyuni and Bolivian Altiplano 3 Day Tour

We took this tour. I would like to go on a four-day trip to Atacama, but we did not have a Chilean visa. Prices for this tour are mostly 650-700 bolivianos ($94-101), but there are also prices for 1300, and probably higher. We went for 650.

Day 1.

On the first day, an aunt from the agency ran to our hotel and said that the check-out would be earlier, because it would be difficult for a pedestrian to travel around Bolivia for a day and it would be difficult to drive around the city. We made the right decision to have breakfast, because it was a long wait until lunch, and anyway, when we arrived, they were still waiting for someone.

First of all, we were taken to. Previously, there was a railroad that carried goods to and from Chile, and when the traffic stopped, the steam locomotives were simply abandoned here. Cool place, but only if dozens of other tourists do not climb at the same time;)

By the way, you can visit this place absolutely free of charge and on your own, you just need to walk a couple of kilometers on foot from the city (or take a taxi). The most sold-out in the morning, until 11-12, some tours come here at sunset, but not enough.

After the train cemetery we were taken to souvenir market. We did not buy anything there, but we hint: this is the last opportunity to purchase warm clothes before going to the cold Altiplano.

A little more winding along the dusty roads, and we finally got to saline!

Stopped near salt hotel. Nothing special, the same at the first night.

And then a dragon will attack us! I ran in terror!

And Seryoga kaaaak hit him from the foot !!

Then the dragon switched to the llama, jumped on her back with the desire to gnaw through the spine, but then another dragon ran up, and let's bite him!

He drove the green one away, and bit off his tail!

Came for lunch cactus island incahuasi, aka Isla Incahuasi or Fish Island. We did not find any resemblance to fish, but we could wander around the island and cuddle with cacti :) In the dry season, this is not an island, but just a big rock.

From a distance it seems that he is hovering over the salt marsh.

The climb to the "top" cost 30 bolivianos, but this "top" is low, and there is nothing to see from it, so we did not pay, but just walked around. You can enter Incahuasi for free along the paths away from the entrance.

We were in the dry season, so we did not see the famous "Uyuni mirror" in all its glory, but we caught a piece of the mirror near Incahuasi:

There was nothing interesting after lunch, we were just taken to hotel made of salt: there are walls made of salt, and salt crumbs on the floor. The rooms had 2-3 single beds, a shared toilet and a paid shower. Dinner was good but small, I would have eaten more. Sockets were only in the dining room.

Day 2

In the morning we were taken to score in the village, everyone immediately rushed to buy overpriced essentials that they forgot to buy in Uyuni village: toilet paper, toothpaste, drinking water and alcohol. After that there was a continuous Altiplano. By the way, I do not recommend drinking alcohol at altitudes, it only increases altitude sickness.

Passed by first railroad and other salt marsh. The sensations were indescribable: the desert, the wind, and the rails going nowhere ... until other groups arrived

Stopped near the quaint rocks.

Dined near lakes with flamingos- Cañapa (Laguna Cañapa)

In addition to flamingos, there are funny ones nearby. whiskey hares,

... vicuñas,

... foxes,

And of course the tourists.

There were several lakes.

And then we rolled along wilderness.

The ride was long and tedious, I even dozed off on the way. And here we come to stone tree(Arbol de Piedra). Its height is 5 meters. The wind was so strong, and so much dust in my eyes, that after photographing I walked backwards to the car.

And it was especially interesting to watch how smokers try to light cigarettes in such a wind))) We were lucky that there was not a single smoker in our car, no one stank on the rest after each stop.

We drove and drove and arrived at (Eduardo Avaroa). There they took 150 bolivianos ($21.5, payment only in bolivianos) from us and gave out tickets, which they said to keep until leaving the park (but nothing was checked either in the park or at the exit).

After the control booth, we were taken 200 meters and settled in " hostel". The "hostel" consists of a dozen barracks, each with 2-3 six-bed rooms with bathrooms and a common corridor with tables. There was no electricity in the toilet, and only a cold shower. There were no sockets in the room, charging for extra money. There is also an option with an overnight stay on the second day near the thermal springs, but it is twice as expensive.There are options with a private bathroom, but we were told that there are surcharges of $ 100 per night.

While we were waiting for dinner, we walked to Colored Lake Laguna Colorada(Laguna Colorada). The wind was so strong that they almost ran towards the lake.

In the photo on the Internet, this lake is very red, but ours was gray-pink (the photo is called "find the flamingos"):

They put on everything that was: on each underwear, thermal underwear top and bottom, pants, windproof pants, regular socks, woolen socks, fleece, down jackets, membrane jackets, two or three buffs, gloves. It was not hot, let's just say :) Sunglasses are more from the wind :)

We walked back against a strong wind and felt like conquerors of the Far North.

A Brazilian couple from Rio didn’t even want to stick their nose out of the hostel in such weather, it seemed to them that they were in some kind of special hell for Brazilians (where they freeze instead of frying), and the Germans and I had a great walk :)

Day 3

One more day, and let's move on to organizational issues about Uyuni.

In the morning we got up before dawn (I think at 5 o'clock), had breakfast and went to the geysers of Sol de la Mañana.

A little snow fell at night, mostly it was blown away by the wind, but one smart guy managed to skid on a four-wheel drive (!) SUV (!) in a fifteen-centimeter snowball in a rut. AAAA, I rode on such a Fabia in the snowy Kyiv days, and the snow was a couple of meters long. Nevertheless, a council gathered, they almost began to take it in tow, but then they figured out that they just needed to push. Our driver said that the stuck driver is new, he has been driving tourists for only 5 years O_o

Geysers, to put it mildly, not impressed, . I'm already talking about Iceland.

Some more Altiplano

And here it is - the most long-awaited point of the route - the hot springs! To take off all those layers of clothes in an unheated locker room - it was a feat, but then what a kaaaayf! :) The water temperature is 38 degrees Celsius, the water is warmer in the small pool. Even if you do not want to swim, then just sitting on the side and warming your feet is already a great pleasure.

And again desert. Somewhere around here we met a Cyclist with a capital letter. This Hero pedaled up in a strong wind, at an altitude of almost 5000 meters, blown by dust from trucks and jeeps rushing past. Didn't manage to take a picture of him.

it Green Lake(Laguna Verde)

And again desert

Garden of Salvador Dali(not allowed to come closer)

This was the very edge of Bolivia, and from there we went to leave for civilization. Halfway to the village of Uyuni was Garden of Stones. It was already so warm here that we took off our down jackets and woolen socks, and it was even possible to walk without a hat and gloves! And even our Brazilians came to life :)

Finally we were taken to some village, where we waited for half an hour for some reason, and there was nothing to see, except for one ugly closed church.

From there we quickly rushed to the city. The driver dropped us off at the agency and disappeared. Before the tour, we succumbed to persuasion, and left a large backpack with things unnecessary on the tour at the agency, which was very stupid, because by the time we returned it was closed! We called the aunt who sold us the tour, she did not answer. We found out in neighboring shops - no one knows anything. They also called her. Well, she knew that we would come from the tour and she had our backpack!!! This is Bolivia, baby! I even went to the police, but they kicked me out there.

The situation was aggravated by the fact that for the evening we already had bus tickets to, we were hungry after a meager dinner, the wind was blowing dust on the street, and the backpack was in captivity! We noticed that one of the windows in the glass door was simply sealed with paper, tore it off and looked inside. The backpack was there and really wanted to us. In total, we have already waited for 40-50 minutes, the mood has changed from perplexingly irritated to aggressive.

Then we decided to take extreme measures - put out the door of the agency and took him out of there! We even wanted to put the door back on the hinges, but they were crooked, as if they had been broken more than once, so we just put the door vertically. When we crossed the street towards the nearest cafe, we saw how our aunt drove up to the agency, opened the door with a key, and she fell inside. HAHAHAHAHA! We passed by in the evening on the bus, saw the light inside and thought that this is how she should be, now let her sit guarding her door.

It was scary to leave Bolivia, suddenly the border guard would say to us: "Ahaaaa, who broke the door in such and such an agency? Come to the prison." We didn't think we would have to deal with such vile things! :(

4 day Uyuni tour

Includes standard 3-day tour plus climbing Tunupa volcano. Our friends paid 1000 Bolivianos ($145) for such a tour.

Alternative: 3 day tour of Uyuni plus one day in Chile's Atacama Desert. We would really like to get on such a tour, but at that time Chilean visas for Ukrainians had not yet been canceled, and we did not want to pay $80 for a single entry or $200 for a multiple entry visa.

Uyuni salt marsh at night

There are separate night tours to the Salar de Uyuni to gaze at the stars.

There are two options:

1) departure in the afternoon, sunset and then the stars, 2) departure in the middle of the night, stars, dawn and inspection of the salt marsh in the morning.

Since there is little housing and, accordingly, light, the stars are beautifully visible. And in the rainy season, when Uyuni turns into a mirror lake, the stars are reflected in it, and then the views are simply unreal. Uyuni is one of the top locations for observing the starry sky. Unfortunately, we did not go on such a tour, because we were in the dry season, but the photos on the Internet are simply amazing.

It is best to go on a new moon so that the light of the moon does not interfere.

Travel expenses to Uyuni

I wrote the prices for tours above. Please note that agencies usually require cash payment in Bolivianos. Then you will still need to pay 150 bolivianos ($ 22) for the "national park" (obligatory) and 30 ($ 4.5) on Fish Lake (Incahuasi) for the observation deck (optional).

If you want to ride with an English-speaking guide, you will have to pay extra. There are no Russian speaking guides.

There are also very few places for toilets along the route, and where there are, they cost as much as 5 bolivianos (0.7$)!

Uyuni village has several ATMs different banks, but not all accept foreign cards, and do not give more than 2000 Bs at a time. You need to go experiment.

Currency exchange cheaper in La Paz than in Uyuni.

How to get to Uyuni

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

1. Airplane. Prices for flights from La Paz to Uyuni start from $80 one way, fly 45-60 minutes.

Schedule and prices for flights:

Airfare low price calendar:

Uyuni Airport (Joya Andina Airport, IATA code: UYU) is located just a couple of kilometers from the city center.

2. direct bus(there are day and night) - up to 10 hours. There are also night buses from Sucre (8 hours) and daytime buses from Potosí (4 hours).

It is cold on the bus at night because it passes high mountains. Take warm clothes in hand luggage. And this is not Peru, there are buses without toilets, but they make stops along the way.

3. Bus La Paz - Oruro, and from there by train to Uyuni. It is better to buy train tickets at the railway ticket office, because they are 25-50% more expensive in agencies around the city. This train still does not run every day, but only Tue and Wed, Fri and Sun Oruro-Uyuni; Wed and Sat, Mon and Thu Uyuni-Oruro.

The locals advised us the second option, because the Oruro-Uyuni road is bad, and the train route is beautiful. In fact, only a slice of the first hour was beautiful: Lake Uru Uru. The rest is boring desert. Recently, this road was repaired, so you can safely go all the way by bus.

Nothing to see in Oruro.

The only interesting thing about the train was that the seats on this train can be turned 180 degrees :) The train was shaking a lot, you can’t work on a computer, and you got tired of reading after 7 hours of travel.

Bulky things had to be checked in as luggage, and at the station we had to wait until it was unloaded and given out, it took a long time, and we went to the city as early as ten in the evening. I do not recommend this option!

Hotels in Uyuni

In Uyuni, housing is either expensive or bad, because it is a very touristy place. If you are going to search on the spot, then it is better to go deep into the village at least a couple of blocks: the farther from the railway station, the cheaper.

Also look for options on Airbnb.

If you haven't signed up for Airbnb yet:

Where to eat in Uyuni

On the main street there are many restaurants with prices like in Europe. But there are few cheap cafes with prices as for locals, and mostly it's grilled chicken with fried potatoes :(

One of the evenings we found the same cafe where they served soup. They brought me a spoon, a knife and a fork with the soup... because there was a big piece of... grilled chicken floating in it!!! and fried potatoes! AAAAA! This is Bolivia, baby!!!

How to book a Uyuni tour and what to expect

It makes no sense to book in advance and from another city, because it will be more expensive, and there are always places for tours. It is better to sort it out on the spot, look at the agency and choose what you like.

There are dozens of travel agencies in Uyuni, and they work mainly in the morning, when the buses arrive, and until lunch (11-12), then they open at 3-4 in the afternoon and are open until the car is full for tomorrow. After the train arrives, some are also open if they need to fill up the car for tomorrow.

Most tourist offices in Uyuni are located near the railway station.

If you still want to book online, then look at the options and reviews on GetYourGuide.

Usually they carry up to 6 people in a jeep, you need to agree in advance about occupying the front seats, but it’s worth remembering that the Bolivians like to promise everything you want to hear, and then pretend that nothing happened. Normal practice is to periodically switch places.

I'm going everyone promises hot food, but usually bread and butter for breakfast, cold food in a thermos for lunch (and rice with disgusting canned fish on the third day), and only hot dinner for dinner.

The first night usually takes place in the salt hotel in 2-bed rooms with a shared toilet and a paid hot shower.

The second is in a 6-seater dorme, the toilet "in the room" is one for six, the shower is only cold. There are options with your own bathroom, but at times more expensive, and few people take such tours.

Departures usually at 10-11 am, so if time is short and sleepiness is not a hindrance, then you can arrive early in the morning by night bus, have time to book a tour, have breakfast, buy food and water.

Guide Hispanic by default. English-speaking for an additional fee, and it may well turn out that he is not driving in your car. IMHO, it’s better not to pay for a separate English-speaking guide, but to ask other tourists to translate into English for you;) especially since these guides don’t tell anything like that, they just tell where we arrived and how much time we have for photographing.

There are no Russian-speaking guides in Uyuni.

What to bring to Uyuni

11 things you might need in Uyuni that travel agents don't tell you about:

1. Water. But it’s better not to lean on it during the day, because toilets are rare and expensive (5 bolivianos), and there are practically no suitable bushes and other shelters.

2. Snacks. The food that is given is not enough, especially in conditions of cold and altitude, it is better to take cookies, chocolates, fruits with you.

3. Toilet paper. It wasn't in the hotels.

4. Wet wipes. The shower may well not work or be one for 20 people.

5. Personal first aid kit. To the nearest pharmacy or hospital to go from a couple of hours to half a day.

6. Warm windproof clothing, warm boots and woolen socks, a hat / buff, gloves. And more, more, more! I'm serious, a strong cold wind can blow on the Altiplano, and in the second hostel the temperature can drop to zero or below at night.

7. Swimsuit, towel, flip flops for bathing in hot springs.

8. Torch(electricity may "break down", and on the second night in the dorm there is no light in the toilet). Can be replaced by a mobile phone.

9. Sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of zero and below (VERY COLD at night!). You can rent a simple sleeping bag in the city of Uyuni (from 50 Bs).

10. Sunglasses and cream- both with a good filter.

11. Powerbank- there are no sockets in the second hostel.

Below in the comments, I copied the review of our VKontakte reader and tips on what to take with you in the wet season, when the salt marsh turns into a lake.

You may be asked to deposit items that you do not need during the trip for storage at the agency, but I do not recommend doing this so as not to get into a situation where the agency is closed and you cannot pick up your things.

Salar de Uyuni on your own without a tour

You can visit the Uyuni salt marsh itself (not the Altiplano) without a tour.

An option for the wealthy is to rent a car. Even an ordinary passenger car will do, but there is no rental in Uyuni, and the closest one that I found on the Internet is in La Paz. Drive from there all day (or all night) through a boring desert, then back, pay rent and gas, that is, no savings. In addition, Bolivian business is guaranteed problems. I do not recommend.

Options for the poor who can't or don't want to pay for the tour:

1. In the dry season, they run right along the salt marsh buses, which carry local residents to Incahuasi and neighboring villages. The fare is cheap, but of course, no one will stop you for a beautiful photo. You can drive, for example, to Incahuasi, take a walk and take pictures there, and return by bus to Uyuni. But these buses do not run every day, so before deciding on this, check the schedule! And stock up on food and water ahead of time.

2. You can go to the Salar de Uyuni and bicycle, it’s flat and not far for a bike, but keep in mind that we didn’t see a single bike rental in the village, we need our own.

3. About hitchhiking I highly doubt it, the main traffic there is tours, there are almost no other cars. For those who like to stop at gas stations, I show how the gas station went on the route:

With a cemetery of steam locomotives it is easier, you can walk there from the city.

In Uyuni with children

We traveled in parallel with 20-30 other groups, and never saw anyone with children. And they themselves would not go with a small child, because it’s hard for an adult to endure many hours of sitting in a car, cold, wind and altitude sickness, and even more so for a child. You decide;)

When to go to Uyuni and the weather

Uyuni is a high salt desert with no rain from April to September and very little rain in October and November. From June to at least November, the salt marsh becomes very hard and easy to drive over. At this time, they take tours throughout the salt marsh, to the island of Incahuasi, to volcanoes and the Altiplano.

The dry season is also the time for photography, including games with perspective, as we shot with dragons.

At this time, it is partly cloudy, and at the same time cold, it is necessary to take warm clothes and sunscreen with you, especially in June, July and August.

The annual rainfall in this desert is only 10 cm per year, and most of it falls in December-April. Since the salt hardens strongly during the dry season, there is simply nowhere for the water to go, so by February-March, the Uyuni salt marsh turns into a lake.

At this time, it is not possible to drive to some parts of the salt marsh, including Incahuasi Island.

But at this time, Uyuni becomes the largest mirror in the world, and sunsets and sunrises become fantastic. At the same time, they take on night tours to observe the stars.

Visa to Bolivia

For most countries, the scheme is simple: either pay $50-160 for a visa on arrival, or get it for free at the Bolivian embassy in any country.

Insurance

There are few decent hospitals in Bolivia, and they are expensive, so you need smart insurance with a lot of coverage, according to which you can be taken to Peru or Chile and treated there.

We use - it includes many types of outdoor activities and limits from 3.5 million euros.

Use the widget to find out the price - the calculation will open in a new window.

Salar de Uyuni on the world map

The Uyuni salt marsh is located in the southwestern part of Bolivia.

Uyuni from space

This is what Uyuni looks like from space.

The photo was taken by the Sentinel satellite in 2017.

Should I go to Uyuni

I think it's worth going to Uyuni, because the salt marsh is very cool, this is an original unusual place. The cemetery of steam locomotives is also wonderful.

As for the Altiplano, it depends on whether you have been to other similar places. For example, after hiking in Peru (, etc.) we were not very interested, but others who had not seen such landscapes before liked it very much.

I would love to visit Uyuni again during the rainy season when it turns into a huge mirror.

Tell

Have you been to the Uyuni Salt Flats and the Bolivian Altiplano? Or are you going there?

What season?

What did you like or dislike the most?

Can you suggest something that I didn't include in the post? A good hotel or restaurant, a reliable travel agency?

The Uyuni Salt Flat 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 more about it.

general information

Origin of the Uyuni Salt Flats

The Uyuni Salt Flat 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 held in 4x4 vehicles (usually a Toyota Land Cruiser) with 6 or 7 people and a driver. Most 3- and 4-day tours have the same itinerary for the first 2 days: a day in the salt flat, heading south to the southwestern regions of Bolivia, and then returning back. Visits to specific locations may depend on the tour, but groups are free to decide which locations to visit and how much time will be spent in each.

Accommodation is usually provided at the base shelters and the weather can get very cold, but it's worth it if you see the amazing scenery. Avoid tours that offer a night in one of the salt hotels. They are illegal as they are not part of the water grid 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.

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

• Additional water: The tour usually provides an insufficient amount. Additionally, 2 liters per day are required.

• Sun cream and a hat: 3.5 km above sea level, there is significantly less atmosphere that absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation.

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

• Warm clothing is best in layers.

• Heating pad: It is very cold at night and you will be very glad that you have a heating pad.

• Flip flops: Restrooms are shared.

• Towel: not provided during the tour.

• Additional snacks, especially fruit and protein. While quality food is provided, it tends to contain heavy starches.

• Lip balm: In the sun, wind and dry air, they can crack.

How to get there

Uyuni. The path includes a railroad from Avaroa at the Chilean border (non-fixed departure time), a railroad 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 are 60% more expensive.

Agency Search

When choosing a tour operator, it is important to consult with other travelers to understand what kind of experience they had, vehicles, drivers and food on the trip. The trips will start in all cities, so this is a good opportunity to ask other travelers arriving from the itinerary about their impressions. Common complaints are that the vehicles are in a very poor technical condition, that there is no emergency supply, that there are drunk drivers and that there is 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 are going on tours 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 to meet such people. Ripley Tours can arrange a decent one day tour (BOB130).

Tupiza. You can also go from Tupiza to the end of Uyuni 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. The 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 any of the sights as you leave the Chilean border before heading back to Uyuni.

From San Pedro de Atacama. It is possible to visit this tour which starts in San Pedro de Atacama and ends in Uyuni on the third day or returning to San Pedro the next day. The advantage is that you get to see the Salt Flats on the last morning and see the sunrise over them. There are several tour operators on the main street in San Pedro. However, you should take note of the tour operators' instructions that all tours in Uyuni () are operated by Bolivian tour-guides. Chilean tour guides are not allowed to conduct tours in Uyuni.

Choice of tour

There are several options for visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats. 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 salt blocks located near the salt flats. The next day you will start your journey towards Uyuni with the aim of visiting Kolchani. This is a small town where you can buy salt crafts. This place offers an unimaginable and breathtaking view of the largest salt desert in the world, whose area is approximately 12,000 square meters. km! You will begin your journey by observing the bubbling water on the surface in the so-called “eyes of the water”, and you will also see the work of the inhabitants in extracting 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 intertwining with the Andean sky. This is the best place to take photos of the salt marsh. Later, you can continue your journey, still heading 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 a wonderful and incredible view opens from here. On some excursions you can visit the Cave of the Galaxies and the Cave of the Devil. The lagoons are named so because of the different tones that are formed due to the presence of algae, the chemical composition of the water, the movement of the wind, or due to a certain time of day. When you return to Uyuni, you can visit the town and train graveyard. 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 to simply catch the local bus to Kolchan BOB10. Ask the driver to drop you off at the Salt Flats and you can hike and 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

Yekaterinburg 9

Novosibirsk 11

Vladivostok 14

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

Uyuni - monthly weather

Clue:

Uyuni - monthly weather

Where to go, walk, go ...

First day - the world's largest salt marsh

On the first day you will visit 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 Arc. Most trips start here, next to the train station at 10.30, although you can also get there from the hotel.

Train Graveyard. The tour usually takes place at the very beginning of the tour, but some operators prefer to end the tour at this point. There are many destroyed old steam locomotives here.

Colchani- a village 7 km north of Uyuni. Salt souvenirs can be purchased here. There is also a salt museum here, which has various animals created from salt (you will be forced to pay a fee upon exit), 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 heaps (weighing a ton) to dry in the sun for transportation to a refinery.

Salt hotels- several hotels are made entirely of salt. You need to buy a chocolate 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 petrified 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 you can easily calculate their age. Here you can also see Wiskashi. Most tourist 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 deal it's best to try and 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. Especially in the main "salt hotels" you can take a shower for 10 Bs and charge your camera.

Second day - heading south to the colorful lakes of Laguna Colorado

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

viscacha zone- a short stop on a rocky ledge, is a whiskey colony. Tour guides feed them carrots, teaching them to go out to eat.

Arbol de Piedra (4412 m)- a stone tree that was carved by strong sandy winds.

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

Accommodation. In the vicinity of 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. The ambient temperature in July can drop below -20°C at night. You can get the host to turn on the water heater (15 Bs), but the showers are outside the cabin.

Third day, morning - geysers and hot springs in Laguna Verde (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 bubbling gray pools and a geyser, usually visited when the sun rises. There are no railings here, it can be slippery and the water can look hot in the cave.

Hot springs Termas de Polques are located next to the Salar de Chalviri. To enjoy the springs, you can bring your bathing accessories. Popular place for breakfast. Basic bathrooms are available for 6 Bs.

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

Blanca Lagoon- a white lake filled with boric ore.

Dinner. Laguna Colorado is a popular place to dine. Toilets are sometimes provided.

Afternoon - East of Tupiza

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

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

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

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

Afternoon - north of Uyuni

The road back to Uyuni is very bumpy. 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 at different towns on the way to their destination. Heating and showers will depend on where the driver chooses to stay.

Fourth day - the trip ends in Tupiza

The tour will pass through an area with beautiful scenery.

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

Fourth day - ends in Uyuni

San Cristobal- a city in which there is a 350-year-old church, in which there is 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 in the salt cave there are accidents caused by drunk drivers. Don't risk your life by driving 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 place, but if you're on tour, chances are another truck will be available in a few minutes.

You might get altitude sickness here. If you are staying right off the coast, you may need up to several days to acclimatize. Dizziness, difficulty breathing and headaches are common symptoms. Locals say chewing coca leaves can relieve symptoms, but it can also cause drug tests to fail. If someone is not fully acclimatized, you can buy a few acetazolamide tablets at the Uyuni Pharmacy before the flight.

You can also drink coca leaf tea. Everyone from the Pope to Queen Sofia of Spain drink it when visiting Bolivia. If you add a little sugar, the tea can be even better!

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

Warning about certain travel companies

On December 24, 2011, the car of Oasis Tours (also known as Oasis Odyssey Tours) was involved in a serious accident due to careless driving. The driver, who was driving the car, was moving 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 road, rolled over twice and landed on the roof.

One passenger was critically injured in the head, bleeding while being dragged outside and requiring emergency medical attention. Another passenger suffered a head injury. Other passengers had various scratches and bruises. Passengers who did not require emergency medical attention 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 travel agency kept actively refusing that they had this information. Also, the travel agency 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. Keep this in mind when booking specifically with this travel agency. Look at the name of the poster on the vehicle you are assigned. If the driver is driving carelessly, ask him to change his driving style.

Also beware of tour operator Dali Tours. It is located on Ferrovaria Avenue on the side of the train station. Website by (not working). Tourists booked an individual tour there for a great price, but received a simple, standard tour. Instead of a double room, they got two beds in a hostel with ten beds. Instead of interesting roads, they had a simple fast ride, with the driver cutting corners every time he could. No sunsets and 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.