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Salar de Uyuni, the World's Largest Salt Flat
Published by Dan Kuseta, Writer
Country: Bolivia 
The Experience
Fancy a trip to Mars but can’t wait for NASA to start colonizing? Don’t despair, because a journey to Salar de Uyuni, the Bolivian salt desert is the next best thing. The remnants of a giant prehistoric lake, the world’s largest salt flats cover an area the size of Belgium and sit as high the Andes. Best experienced with a guided tour from the town of Uyuni, the first stop en route to the flats is the great train graveyard, a stark testament to the Spartan land beyond. Just a few miles out of Uyuni the landscape changes at an alarming rate: yellows, greens and browns are swept aside by a sea of vast, blisteringly white salt. The sensation is somewhat akin to being swallowed. Most striking, after the glare, is how unbelievably flat everything is. The sheer scale of Salar de Uyuni means terms must be redefined: not merely giant skies but gargantuan ones, humongous, not huge horizons. During a rainfall the salt flats transform into the world’s biggest mirror, reflecting the heavens in an experience that is so mind altering that it would even straighten Dali’s moustache.
Further inland the optimistically named Isla de los Pescados, Island of the Fish, is a scattering of hills that were once coral reefs, and whose palm trees long ago surrendered to cacti. The colony of viscachas, Andean rabbits, that inhabit these islands seem as marooned as if water still ran here. South toward the Chilean border the terrain becomes weirder and wilder and as you near the Andes, looming purple volcano’s topped with ‘snow’ (sulphur), petrified lava streams, thermal springs and geysers. Wild llamas appear on pink hills and dinner plates.
Like any desert worth its salt, the Salar has its oasis: the lagunas, immense lakes colored by the mineral rich terrain. Laguna Colorado is a study in surrealism, a blood red lake ringed with yellow grasses, white minerals, and of course filled to the brim with thousands of pink flamingos. An impossible visage, but just when things couldn’t get any more topsy-turvy witness Laguna Verde. Striking not only for its emerald waters but its wind fashioned waves, effectively creating a beach in the midst of a desert four thousand feet above sea level. Truly an otherworldly sight, and a fitting bookend to your journey into, almost outer space.
Further inland the optimistically named Isla de los Pescados, Island of the Fish, is a scattering of hills that were once coral reefs, and whose palm trees long ago surrendered to cacti. The colony of viscachas, Andean rabbits, that inhabit these islands seem as marooned as if water still ran here. South toward the Chilean border the terrain becomes weirder and wilder and as you near the Andes, looming purple volcano’s topped with ‘snow’ (sulphur), petrified lava streams, thermal springs and geysers. Wild llamas appear on pink hills and dinner plates.
Like any desert worth its salt, the Salar has its oasis: the lagunas, immense lakes colored by the mineral rich terrain. Laguna Colorado is a study in surrealism, a blood red lake ringed with yellow grasses, white minerals, and of course filled to the brim with thousands of pink flamingos. An impossible visage, but just when things couldn’t get any more topsy-turvy witness Laguna Verde. Striking not only for its emerald waters but its wind fashioned waves, effectively creating a beach in the midst of a desert four thousand feet above sea level. Truly an otherworldly sight, and a fitting bookend to your journey into, almost outer space.
When to Go to Salar De Uyuni
It’s cheapest and easiest to book a tour from Uyuni, where the attentive hawkers guarantee you’ll be spoiled for choice. A four day tour costs around $80USD and covers food, transport and basic accommodation. Park entrance fees and guide tip are extra. Some operators can arrange a drop off at the Chilean border if you don’t fancy doubling back over the flats.
Odds n' Ends
Bear in mind much of the region lies at a 4000m elevation, and altitude sickness is a real danger. If arriving from the coast take a few days to acclimatize before exploring remote areas such as the Salar. Bring cash in small denominations and good condition, dirty money is often rejected, and bathrooms aren’t free.
Nights and high winds can be brutal so pack warm clothing and of course sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Don’t plan on showering for the duration of the tour.
Nights and high winds can be brutal so pack warm clothing and of course sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Don’t plan on showering for the duration of the tour.
Want a Guide?
- Bolivia Crossing - GAPAdventures.com
- Travel from the vibrant and cultured Buenos Aires--the home of tango--to the driest desert in the world, from the stark beauty of the Uyuni salt flats to the colourful indigenous La Paz. Experience some of our favourite South American extremes on this trip of leaders' picks for the more adventurous traveller.
Places to Eat
- Minutemen Pizza
- The one thing not memorable about the flats is the food. Stock up on home made Bolivian style pizza before heading out.
Places to Stay Nearby
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6 miles away
$664 BOB+
18 miles away
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More Experiences Nearby
- See Chile's Atacama Giant Etched into the Desert Plains
- The Atacama Desert in Chile is well documented as the driest place on earth. It is also the site of the world-renowned Atacama Giant geoglyph (geoglyphs are large designs or motifs etched into the earth), located at Cerro Unitas. Chile’s Atacama Giant stands 390-ft tall and was a deity for the Atacama people who existed in 1000 CE. It is also believed that the Atacama Giant was used as an astronomical calendar so people could tell when the moon would set. They could tell the time of the day, the crops cycle and the various seasons. It was a strange ...140 miles away.
Books and DVDs
- Wild Winds: Adventures In The Highest Andes
- Rugged climbing adventures in South America
Elsewhere on the Web
- Tripbase.com
- Handy travel info on Uyuni and Bolivia
- Magical Realism: The Land, Salt and Water of Southwestern Bolivia - GoNomad.com
- Blank as an empty page, a plane of possibility stretching white to the horizon, then blurring seamlessly into sky, a spattering of distant purple hills and “islands” are visible, floating on colliding light.
- Salar de Uyuni Travel Guide - World66.com
- Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. It is located in the Departmento of Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, 3650 meters high.
Media References
- Adventures in Bolivia - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
- THE highway drops precipitously down the mountainside, and the pavement is slick with rain and hail. Cars pass in both directions, forcing me to pedal tight to the thousand-foot drop at the road’s edge.
- The Guardian (newspaper)
- Worth It's Salt: The Bolivian Salt Flats
- The Sydney Morning Herald (newspaper)
- Bolivian Oyssey
Travel Insurance. Simple & Flexible.
Language Guides
Spanish 
is one of the languages spoken in Bolivia. If you know of a freely available phrase book or podcast for one of the missing languages, let us know!
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