Salar Uyuni, the Bolivian salt flats (the largest in the world) has got to be one of the most beautiful and surreal places I have ever set foot. From the mirroring salt flats that make you feel you’re in the antarctic to the surreal rock-formations of the El Salvador Dali-desert. From the volcanic geyser-fields and hot-springs to the colored sulfuric lakes that host large populations of flamingo’s, Salar Uyuni has it all.
– Practical Information –
When: For a chance to see the mesmerizing mirroring effect on the salt-flats caused by a thin layer of rain-water you should visit between November and February. Otherwise the Salar can be visited year-round. Take into account that the sun (combined with the reflection from the salt) can be scorching during the day while the nights can be very cold (-10 degrees Celsius is fairly common). Take sunscreen, take thermals and dress in layers.
In & Out:
By Air: The small and uninspiring town of Uyuni has an airport which has daily flights to and from La Paz and occasional flights to and from Santa Cruz and Sucre. The airport is located only about a mile (1500 meters) from the center of Uyuni so if you want walking is an option. If you booked a tour you’ll probably be picked up by your tour-company. If you arrive at night – take into account the cold – walking in minus 10 (or 15) degrees with chilling winds is not only uncomfortable but can actually be dangerous.
By Bus: Most people come into Uyuni by (night) bus from either Potosi, La Paz or Cochabamba. Trans Omar has a comfortable night-line with full-recliner seats that leaves La Paz at approximately 8PM and arrives at 7AM. (100B for a semi-cama, 150B for full-cama (fully-reclined seat). Take note that we left at 10PM and arrived around 4.30AM – some bus-drivers like to speed up and they always calculate at least an hour extra for delays. Busses to Potosi go a couple of times a day and only take 4 hours. For short-rides I am always more inclined to choose budget over comfort and found a cheap ride for 25B. The bus-station is only a few blocks from the center of town. If you booked a tour, someone will come and pick you up to take you to their office for breakfast.
Budget: 3D/2N 4WD tour with Spanish Guide: from 650B (double if you want an English speaking guide). Add 150B for the entrance to the ‘Lago Colorado NP’, 6B for the hot-springs and some extra for water and snacks (you stock up beforehand in Uyuni).
– The Town of Uyuni –
Uyuni is a shithole. No exaggerations here, its just the plain truth. It has little to no history, no nice sights and is only used as a port for tours into the Salar. Because tours leave early and arrive back late in the afternoon there are a surprising amount of decent eateries and hotels to cater the tourists. I would not recommend staying a night here but just book your night-bus with a reputable company to ensure you get some shuteye at the night before your tour starts.
Eating & Sleeping: As the town mainly exists for tourists this is not the best place to try authentic Bolivian food as the prices are similar to western dishes (which is ridiculously high for Bolivian standards) and the quality not that great. We were recommended to visit Minute Man Pizza and it was a great pick. Good pizza with crisp cold beers. Secretly I was really craving some pizza after eating local food for the last few weeks but even if you choose another dish, the quality will be above average for Uyuni-standards.
I do not recommend staying the night here but if you do, the ‘Hotel de Sal Casa Andina‘ is the most atmospheric in town hands down. It is build out of salt-blocks and has all amenities you seek. If you are traveling on a smaller budget (Casa Adina is about 70EUR per night) Bunker Hostel seems like the best pick, located 3 blocks from the bus-station.
– Solo or with a tour? –
I’ve spoken to many travelers that contemplated organizing their own wheels but nobody that actually went through with it, and I also do not recommend it. For one rental-prices in Bolivia are sky-high, if you can find a party of 4 a private-tour will be a lot cheaper. Then there is the navigation-aspect. As the Salar has few clear-cut roads you’ll need to rely on a good map and GPS (or a compass), so unless you’re an excellent navigator this might not be the smartest move. The biggest reason however why I do not recommend going solo is the risk of having a mechanical failure. The tour-companies all have radio-contact with each other and jeeps will travel in caravans from time to time to make sure there is always someone around to help in case of problems. Considering the rough terrain and the corrosive effect of the salt suffering a mechanical break-down is not out of the ordinary. Especially at night you do not want to get marooned out here.
Spanish or English speaking guide? If no-one in your party speaks Spanish it might be worth considering an English guide but since these tours are almost double in price I would recommend a Spanish Guide. Even if your Spanish is not perfect, the Salar Uyuni is mostly a natural sight, meaning the explanations from your guide will be fairly practical. You do not need to know all about cultural or historical aspects here so even if you do not understand some parts your guide is trying to explain, it won’t affect the enjoyment of your tour much. If you carry a written guide of Bolivia the booklet will probably provide you with all the information you need to decipher what your guide is trying to say. Alternatively you can print this article and take it with you!:)
When deciding on which tour-company you want to go with TripAdvisor is your best friend. Most companies offer the same level of comfort, meals and transportation. The high-end tours have better accommodation (and thus better dinners and breakfast as you have both meals at the place where you bed for the night) but all tours offer at least one night in a salt-hotel and a well-equipped 4WD jeep. The main difference is the tour-guide that you get, and since these tend to switch companies every now and then a recommendation that I give you now might not be worth much in say 6 months.
– Salar Uyuni –
As I stated in the introduction of this article, this is one that is not to be skipped. Salar Uyuni (and the Atacama desert) is one of the most surreal and bizarre places I have ever been. Constantly changing scenery, insanely wide views and bizarre rock-formations will make you grasp your camera every ten minutes or so. Since it is all located at high altitude and in a desert-climate the sun is extremely bright which only adds to the picturesqueness of it all.
Colchani & the Train-cemetery
After stocking up on snacks and water in Uyuni you head out to the train-cemetery that is located only 2KM out of town. A few decades ago this was a prime location from where they transported precious metals and minerals from the salt-flats into Chile, but nowadays the trains are just rusting away.
After 30 minutes you head to the small town of Colchani where you see how the process the salt (and other minerals). Though interesting, this is mainly a tourist attraction and not the best place to buy your souvenirs as they sell the same stuff in La Paz or Sucre but for better.
Salt-planes
After Colchani it gets better as now your heading out into the salt-planes. Gradually you see the sandy terrain change into whiter hues as your heading deeper and deeper into the salt-flats. This is where you get the chance to make the famous perspective pictures with toy-dinosaurs and Pringle-cans. You’ll have lunch at a restaurant made out of salt, visit the ‘Ojos del Salar’ where water bubbles up from underneath the salt and drive and walk around for a couple of hours on the wide open salt-flats.
In the afternoon you’ll visit Incahuasi (Ikawasi) Island, a small island with huge cacti that are over a thousand years old. Entrance is 30B but you can walk around it for free which takes about 40 minutes (apart from the ability to use the toilet, actually going on the island does not add much).
Sunset is enjoyed looking over the salt-flats with the dimming sun changing the color of the surroundings every ten seconds into a total different hue. Bright whites turn to yellow, to orange and dip down into a dark deep-red. It is utterly beautiful but as soon as the sun is under you’ll feel the cold creeping up on you and be happy to head to the accommodation for the night. This will be a ‘Hotel de Sal’, a hotel completely made out of salt-blocks. Even the beds and floor will be made out of salt which is quite the experience.
Deserts & Colored Lakes
The second day will be all deserts and lakes. You’ll cross both sand-deserts, rock-deserts and the surreal El Salvador Dali Desert where the master himself claims he got his inspiration for many of his paintings. Iconic is the ‘Arbor de Piedra’ (the stone tree) a rock that was carved out by the wind to look almost like a petrified tree. You’ll get the change to walk around, climb on boulders and make photo’s of the surreal landscape. In the deserts multiple colored lakes are situated the ‘Laguna Verde’ (green lagoon) and the ‘Laguna Colorada’ (colored lagoon) are the most famous ones. Here flamingo’s flock together and also vicuna’s, llama’s and alpaca’s are plenty. You’ll bed down in either another salt-hotel or a similar form of accommodation where you have dinner. At nights you have the option to go out and look at the starry sky (if you can brave the cold that is).
Lava-fields, Geysers and Hot Springs
The third day starts with a drive through an area that is filled with volcanic activity. Before you see it, the sulfuric scent of rotten eggs will fill your nostrills signalling that you are about to encounter volcanic activity. You’ll see boiling mud, lava-flows, geysers and in the afternoon have the option to dip in incredibly comfortable hot-springs for only a few Bolivianos. Afterwards you’ll drive back to Uyuni through the Altiplano where the terrain switches from rocky flats to green valleys where Llama’s and Alpaca’s wander. At the foot of the volcano Licancabur there are two options. You’ll either head back to Uyuni or travel on into Chile to ‘San Pedro de Atacama’. If you’re also including Chile into your itinerary this is an excellent option.
You return in Uyuni close to sundown. I’d advise to head over to the bus-terminal straight away to buy a ticket for a evening-bus out of there and then find a nice spot to have dinner.
After the 3 days you’ll be so full of impressions and wonder that you probably need a few days to process it all.. The Salar Uyuni is a wonderful place, and one that cannot be skipped on any itinerary to Bolivia, now matter how few days you have left.