Salt Lake Uyuni. The Uyuni Salt Flat is the largest salt desert in the world. Video review of the Uyuni salt flat in Bolivia

The bottom of a salt lake in the south of the Altiplano high-altitude desert, or in simple terms - the Salar de Uyuni ( Salar de Uyuni), located in the heart of Bolivia, everyone dreams of seeing. A phenomenon that is unique in nature is at the same time the most ordinary place. Here, at the bottom of the ancient sea, table salt was simply always mined. There is so much salt here that there will be enough for everyone for millions of years to come. The thickness of its deposits reaches 8 meters. And during the rainy season, the salt marsh is covered with water, turning into the largest mirror in the world! Tourists are allowed here quite calmly, without fear that they will spoil the precious material. And the Dakar race has also moved to Bolivia and part of it takes place on the salt marsh.

The Salar de Uyuni salt marsh not only seems somehow wild and prehistoric, it is so. Bolivia is the richest country, if you keep in mind natural resources. Russia and Peru will compare with it. And oddly enough, for the most part the rest of the world's population exploits the resources of these countries. There are rich deposits of tin, gas, oil, lithium, zinc, iron and other minerals. Bolivia was generously gifted. But she also generously allows herself to be robbed.

Forty thousand years ago, an ancient sea splashed on the territory of the salt marsh, from which a lake subsequently emerged Ballyvyan. Now all that remains of the sea are lakes ( Titicaca, Poopo And Uru-Uru) and salt marshes - Uyuni, which is open to tourists, and Koipas.

In Uyuni, the fine line between using resources and living in harmony with nature is most strongly felt. Although the reserves of salt are really large, there is a feeling that when we come here, we are entering the holy of holies of the planet and treating everything with due respect. It’s not us who are so cool that we were able to buy a ticket to the other side of the world, it’s Nature that let us come here.

At any moment, the fragile balance may be disrupted, volcanoes will roar and remake our world beyond recognition, as they have done many times before. - the place is beautiful, its beauty cannot be described. But at the same time, it is an open wound on the body of the Earth. And there is salt in this wound. And salty tears are not at all noticeable here. The technogenic world has practically won. So let us be sensitive to the suffering of our Mother and respect her. Drop by drop and just a little. But small steps always lead to great happiness. Enjoy and rejoice in beauty, but do not disturb it.

Information about the salt marsh

Where to buy a tour to the Uyuni salt flat

To see all the wonders salt marsh of Uyuni, the easiest way to get to the town of Uyuni.

There are two ways to buy a tour to the Uyuni salt marsh:

• Book a place on the tour via the Internet, or by calling an agent of one of travel companies, taking tourists on an unforgettable trip to the Altiplano high plateau, but this will be more expensive and less clear than fitting into a tour on the spot. One of the advantages of booking is that you don’t have to wait, because during the hottest season you can wait for your turn to go on a tour for a couple of days in the city of Uyuni.
• Come to Uyuni and find a tour on the spot. Usually, arrivals are met by the owners of inexpensive agencies right at the bus and taken to their office, telling along the way about the advantages of working with them. It's much cheaper, and you can bargain.

We were not traveling during the peak season, so we had more than enough options! And we bought the tour from those who offered the most cheap price along our route. Then we were simply placed with other people in a shared car.

Routes through the Uyuni salt flats and high-mountain lagoons

The standard itinerary includes three days and two nights in the wildest part of Bolivia. How much does a tour to the Uyuni salt flat cost? depends on how good you are at bargaining. We bought a tour for $100 (or 700 Bolivianos) per person. This amount included everything from food to transfer to the border with Chile. We paid separately only for tickets to national park Eduardo Avora (150 Bolivianos per person), which is home to the amazing Colorada Lagoon and high-mountain thermal springs.

If you are interested in how to choose the right tour from Uyuni, then we decided to publish maps from all the guidebooks that somehow ended up in our hands. By looking at offers and maps of attractions, you can book your own tour and find someone who will take you exactly the way you like. A private tour, of course, will cost more, as will options with a choice of special meals and overnight accommodation.

But if you need to travel on a budget, you can still get an idea of ​​how the tour is organized and find the tour operator that is closest to your desired itinerary.

Interesting fact. If you don't want to drive through the wild altiplano (high desert), you can limit yourself to exploring just the salt marsh and the unforgettable and otherworldly train graveyard. Many come here in the hope of catching famous photo reflections of the sky from the water surface of the salt marsh (during the rainy season). To do this, you need to come to Uyuni, book a hotel here and ride the Salar de Uyuni for as many days as you want, waiting for the right weather. Selection best hotels in Uyuni is presented below.

Detailed map of the Uyuni salt marsh

Tour program

Route map on the Altiplano plateau

Different route options

One-day, two-day and three-day tours from Uyuni in Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni Tour Options

One day tour

• Hotel of salt (Hotel de sal);
• Return to the city of Uyuni.

Two days tour(two days, one night)

• Steam Locomotive Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes);
• City of salt Quiver + souvenirs (Ceramica de sal);
  Salt mines (Montones se sal);
• Hotel of salt (Hotel de sal);
• Incahuasi Island with giant cacti (Isla Incahuasi - pescado);
• Volcano de Tunupa;
• Caves;
• Mummies (Momias).

Three days tour(three days, two nights)

• Steam Locomotive Cemetery (Cementerio de Trenes);
• City of salt Kolcani and museum + souvenirs (Ceramica de sal);
• Salt mines (Montones se sal);
• Hotel of salt (Hotel de sal);
• Incahuasi Island with giant cacti (Isla Incahuasi - pescado);
• View of the Oyague volcano (Volcan Ollague);
• Lagoons (Lagunas altiplanicas - Canapa, Hedionda, Honda, Charcota);
• Silioli Desert and Stone Tree (Desierto de Silioli y Arbol de Piedra);
• Laguna Colorada;
• Hot springs and geysers (Aguas Termales y Sol de manana);
• Desierto Salvador Dali (Desert of Salvador Dali);
• Green and white lagoons (Laguna Verde y Blanca);
• Volcan Licancabur;
• Return to the city of Uyuni or transfer to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.

Lexus Tour of Salar de Uyuni

We set off on our trip to the Uyuni salt marsh after 11 o’clock in the afternoon, one of the very last in the city. We got a Lexus and four traveling companions. And unexpectedly, an elderly couple from Uruguay left us on the morning of the second day of the tour: they didn’t like the service, they felt bad from the altitude (the tour takes place in the highlands at an altitude of 3 to 5 km above sea level) and they basically looked unhappy with everything that surrounded them . And then the four of us were left. Traveling with us were nice guys from Brazil, Tasiana and Augusto, with whom we became friends. The driver Rosendo also made a good impression. All that remained was to get used to Bolivian time: if they say that you have to get up at 4 in the morning, you can safely tear your head off the pillow at five.

Salar de Uyuni on the map

Uyuni in Bolivia

Uyuni is a city in Bolivia, famous for being located next to the largest salt flat in the world, Uyuni. It is a place where salt is mined and has now become a popular tourist destination as well. This is where tours to the Salar de Uyuni and the high altiplano plateaus from Bolivia begin.

How we got to Uyuni from La Paz

We got to Uyuni by the cheapest bus from La Paz, driving along terrible Bolivian roads. I couldn’t sleep at night because of the constant shaking and cold. Although we were given a blanket, it was not enough. Our flight arrived in Uyuni at six in the morning and it was the very first bus arriving in the morning. The driver kept up the pace all night along the dirt road, making it completely impossible to sleep. Tired, we quickly found a travel agency and signed up for a tour starting the same day.

Hotels in Uyuni - where to stay

Uyuni is a rather small town. However, there are many hotels here and they are all quite expensive. Therefore, it is important to really choose good hotel and pay specifically for the quality of service, and not just for proximity to the salt marsh. It’s worth settling in Uyuni if ​​you want to look exclusively at the salt marsh or are returning after a tour of the Bolivian altiplano (or the same tour that starts from) and need to recover after a rather difficult trip from an everyday point of view.

• Hotel de Sal Casa Andina- grade 9.3 . Unique hotel in Uyuni from salt blocks with beautiful ethnic decoration. Guests praise the spacious rooms and cleanliness. Bicycle rentals are available and breakfast is included in the price. Book >>
• Jardines de Uyuni- grade 8.1 . A bright hotel in the city center with heating (which is very important!) and breakfast. Guests note the comfort and warmth. Book >>
• Hotel Palacio de Sal- grade 8.4 . A great option to live right in the middle of the salt desert in a hotel made of salt. Spacious, bright rooms, excellent Wi-Fi and breakfast. The hotel is located near the town of Colchani (20 km from Uyuni), famous for its souvenir market. Book >>

Walk around the city of Uyuni

The town of Uyuni itself is also quite expensive. Compared to the capital, food in restaurants here is much more expensive. We walked around the city a little, even twice. In general, you can get around the entire city of Uyuni in half an hour. We looked at the monument to the Dakar race, which is now held in Bolivia, and went to local market and were glad that we had breakfast in a decent cafe. We had no time to sleep, at 11 we were loaded into our Lexus, and we went to look at the mysterious Salar de Uyuni salt marsh.

Our route through the Uyuni salt marsh and high mountain lagoons

• On the first day we saw the train cemetery and the salt marsh itself. Then we marveled at three species - the Chilean, Andean and James flamingos - that come to such a barren land to start a new life here.
• Bizarre rocks and stones - that’s how it turned out. And it ended with incomparable and beautiful!
• We started the morning with hot springs, and then set off through the Salvador Dali desert.

After leaving Uyuni, we drove around the salt marsh and walked on the salt, saw an island of cacti in the sea of ​​salt, even lay down and ate in a restaurant made entirely of salt, and at night slept in a salt hotel not far from the salt marsh. In the sun, such blinding white light hurts your eyes, so sunglasses are just necessary thing on this journey!

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.

• Camera, extra battery and multiple memory cards: 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 lips to crack.

How to get there

Uyuni. The route includes a railway from Avaroa on the Chilean border (unfixed departure times), a railway from Oruro, a bus (including tourist bus) from Oruro, or La Paz, and flight from La Paz.

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

Agency search

When choosing a tour operator, it is important to consult with other travelers to understand what experiences they have had, vehicles, drivers and food 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 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 main square- a great place to meet such people. Ripley Tours can arrange a decent one 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 best place for photographing 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 with limited budget, there is also the option of simply catching a local bus to Kolcani 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 trips start here, near railway station at 10.30, although you can 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 - entrance fee national reserve wildlife Andina Eduardo Avaroa.

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. Temperature environment in July it 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 - popular place where you can have lunch. 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 weird ones 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 the area with beautiful landscape.

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 emergency supplies (including food and water for a few days) in case the truck breaks down in hard to reach place, but if you're on a tour, there'll likely be another truck available in a few 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 side railway station. Website by (not working). Tourists ordered an individual tour there for a high price, but received a simple, standard tour. Instead of double room they received two beds in a ten-bed dormitory. 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.

Lake Uyuni Salar 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 a lake. Uyuni is known all over the world because its area is 10,582 km2. and it is considered the largest salt lake in the whole world

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

But, as soon as you bend down and try to taste what is under your feet, everything becomes extremely clear - this is salt! A mountain of salt, a sea of ​​salt, a desert of salt - this is the Salar de Uyuni, this is ten billion tons of salt!

So, the Salt Flat of Uyuni (Spanish: Salar de Uyuni) - dried out 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 almost dry salt lake, which is located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni. The most important mineral resources 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 fills with a small amount of water and at the same time forms the largest mirror in the world. From an economic point of view, this salt marsh is of great importance for Bolivia, due to its enormous reserves of salt, which is still 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 from the Uyuni salt marsh is not only used as food and souvenirs for curious tourists. They even build from it here, and literally everything inside the premises is made of salt - beds, benches, tables. Groups of travelers coming here for an overnight stay get the chance to spend the night in a unique salt hotel, it 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 furniture disappeared, the owners forbade behavior like this, and posted notices all around: “Do not lick!”

Here you can admire some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Magnificent landscapes with impressive salt deserts, with active volcanoes, with 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 - thanks to its large size, flat surface and high albedo in the presence of a thin layer of water, as well as a small deviation in altitude, the Uyuni salt marsh is the most suitable tool for testing and calibrating remote sensing instruments on orbiting satellites. The clear skies 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!

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

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

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

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

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

May 28th, 2013

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

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

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

The geological history of the Uyuni salt marsh consists of the successive transformation of several huge lakes. Approximately 30,000-42,000 years ago, its territory was part of the giant prehistoric Lake Minchin. Lake Minchin (named after Juan Minchin) later transformed into Lake Tauka and then (approximately 11,500 - 13,400 years ago) into the youngest prehistoric Lake Coipasa.

When it dried up, there remained two modern lakes (Poopo and Uru Uru) and two salt marshes - the Salar de Coipasa and the much larger Salar de Uyuni. Both salt marshes are separated from each other by a number of hills. Lake Poopo is a neighbor to the much larger Lake Titicaca. During the rainy season, the level of Titicaca rises and the water flows into Lake Poopo, which in turn causes flooding of both salt marshes - Coipas and Uyuni.

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks to its location and ideal plane (the average height difference across the entire area is only one meter), the Uyuni salt marsh is one of the main car routes through the Bolivian Altiplano except during the rainy season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can travel from La Paz to Oruro by regular bus and there change to another bus heading to Uyuni. But in this case, do not count on special comfort. Buses are often overcrowded, with passengers sitting in the aisles with their luggage. In winter, the nights are very cold, the buses are not heated (passengers often sit in their sleeping bags), they often break down, and then the trip will take many hours longer than the promised schedule.

Private transport. The advantage of this option is that you travel during the day, can enjoy the views, take photos and make short stops if desired (within reason).

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

The Salar de Uyuni is located at an altitude of 3,656 meters, so it is quite possible to get altitude sickness here. If you come from a flat area, you may need several days to acclimatize. Dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, attacks of nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of the disease, but after acclimatization, the state of health returns to normal.

Locals chew coca leaves, and although they invigorate and relieve symptoms of altitude sickness, they taste unpleasant. Coca leaf tea is recommended. Most visitors, from ordinary tourists to the Pope and Queen of Spain, drink coca leaf tea when visiting Bolivia. If you add a little sugar, the tea is quite tasty (read the article How to use coca leaves).

Instead of returning to Uyuni, you can travel further to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. Some of the travel companies (eg Colque Tours, www.colquetours.com) offer jeep trips to San Pedro. They depart from Uyuni around 15:00 and the journey takes between 7 and 10 hours. The disadvantage is that the agencies do not know in advance whether the jeep will be sent or not, since it depends on the booking of the San Pedro de Atacama tour.

To travel to San Pedro de Atacama, you must obtain an exit stamp from the immigration office in the city of Uyuni. The Immigration Office (Migración) is located on Avenida Potosí 35 and is open 7 days a week. A similar stamp can be obtained at the Bolivian border, but this procedure may delay the trip. Although this is rarely followed, you must leave Bolivia within three days of receiving your passport stamp.

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