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Salt flat in Bolivia
Photo: Luca Galuzzi (Lucag), edit by Trialsanderrors, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world and one of the most amazing natural attractions of Bolivia. Whether you're walking on the seemingly endless white, desolate surface of the dry flats, or admiring the simply perfect reflection of the clouds and blue sky above when there's water — all travellers agree the Salar de Uyuni offers an out-of-this-world experience.
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The famous lot of old wrecked steam locomotives.
A salt processing village, 7 km north of Uyuni. Lots of salt souvenirs available for purchase, and there's a small museum of salt statues.
Area with many salt piles, weighing approximately a ton each, which are left there to dry.
Isla Incahuasi, "fish island"
The "island" of fossilized coral, covered in ancient cacti that grow only a centimeter a year. It's not an island in the strictest sense, just a big rock sticking up out of the otherwise flat ground, but the salt near the edge of it looks strikingly like water coming up to the shore. The island has a hiking trail to the top, for truly surreal views of the salar. It also has a restaurant, and lunch is eaten by most tour groups on the western "shore" of this island. There are well-maintained washrooms.
Near world's second largest silver mine, at this historical site there's the Bolivia's first railway and a train robbed by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
A lagoon where the flamingos can be observed.
A rocky outcropping with a colony of Viscachas, trained by the guides to come out for the food.
"Stone tree", an isolated sandstone formation eroded by winds carrying sand.
A red-colored lake, by algae, with flamingoes present too.
A geyser basin, including bubbling sulphur pools, normally visited at sunrise.
A lake colored by heavy metals (arsenic, lead, copper etc.) The laguna only shows green when it's windy, which is often not the case in the early morning (common visit time of tours)
A borax-filled white lake.
A lake at the foot of the Uturuncu volcano, called according to the color of its clear blue water (caused by magnesium and manganese). Andean flamingos feed and form large flocks here.
A yellow lake, colored by sulphur, with old cave paintings nearby.
An abandoned 16th century mining town, where slave labor was used. Guides provide different stories why it's no longer inhabited. An equally named village is nearby, but it's not overlooked by the ominous volcano Uturuncu.
As the name says, valleys of rocks, The guides will do the common thing: try to point out some look-alike objects.
Giant columns of clay nearby Tupiza, which were formed by erosion.
A town nearby the homonymous mine, one of the largest mine facilities in Bolivia. The town used to be near the mine, but was completely moved to this area. There was a 350-year-old church in the city; it was not destroyed, but instead transported and rebuilt stone-by-stone at the new spot, including the cemetery. The altar within is made of silver, likely because the mine is 3rd largest silver producer of the world.
A dormant volcano that some longer tours allow you to hike up. At some times of year you can see flamingos eating microorganisms at the foot of the volcano.
Adjacent to Salar de Chalviri, allowing for hot spring swim. Primitive bathrooms are included in the price.
Several hotels made of salt, non-free entrance. You might stay here during multi-day tours.
Standardized car-tours are the most common way of visiting the salt flat. Because of the sheer area size and hostility of the environment, moving by feet or even bicycle is not easy.
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