Bolivia salar uyuni. Salt Desert (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia
Bolivia has a unique place where you can feel yourself in the vast outer space. This is the Salar de Uyuni salt desert, located in the south of the Altiplano plain at an altitude of 3650 meters above sea level.
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Many millennia ago, there was Lake Minchin on the plain, which dried up over the years due to the excessively arid climate. From big lake two small ones remained: Poopo and Uru-Uru. The rest is a huge territory with an area of more than 12,000 square kilometers turned into a boundless salt desert, where the richest deposits of table salt in the world are located - 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 the fierce cold - the burning sun, and instead of eternal snow - salt.
Those who find themselves here come to the idea of the impossibility of some kind of life here, in the midst of the silence of salt. But the first impression is deceiving: as soon as you start moving along it, you begin to understand that here, too, there is a unique, special life, the unique flavor of which you will not see anywhere else in the world.
The peculiar life of the salt desert
It's hard to believe, but even the most beautiful birds - pink flamingos - come here after it rains in November and the salt surface is covered with a layer of water. Flamingos are in mating season, no wonder why they choose such an extraordinary place. Seeing such a spectacle is a real unearthly happiness - a living pink miracle on the mirror surface, 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 in Salar de Uyuni there are still corners with incredibly unusual landscapes, looking at which you find yourself in an unreal world of wildlife.
Such an amazing corner of the desert is the small cone-shaped island of Inkausi, formed of stone limestone formed over the centuries by the remains of coral and sea shells. Otherwise, this islet 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 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 relict 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 of Salar de Uyuni are the lagoons, in which life rages despite the rather uncomfortable climate: huge colonies of geese, flamingos, swans, ducks live here. Each lagoon has its own, specific color, created by the minerals. Blanca is a white body of water: this is how boric ore colors it; Verde has a greenish color due to copper minerals; Celesto - bright blue due to manganese and magnesium Amarilla is tinted yellow with gray, while Colorada, the most densely populated lagoon, is tinted with 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 is bubbling, but not ordinary, but saturated with sulfur and which is curative. There are also geysers floating on the white plain; you can swim in them, hot water perfectly relieves fatigue.
Tourist infrastructure of 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 set aside for a survey of the desert itself - an endless white space; the starting point for tourists is the railway station, next to which there is a "train graveyard" left over from the salt mining of the first half of the 20th century.
On the second day, you can visit the Blogues lt Sal village, where the Salt Museum is located, which displays 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 entailed the problem of their accommodation, and here they began to build hotels from improvised material - from salt. Salt hotels are also a kind of miracle - the walls of the building, roof, ceilings, furniture, stairs - everything is salt. Tourists caught in them do not believe their eyes at first, and then they taste everything and are convinced that it really is salt. Hotel owners were forced to introduce measures prohibiting licking and touching the interior of the room, so as not to spoil appearance... Among the desert hotels there are two with 3 stars, 2 - with free breakfast, 1 - equipped with a Spa, 1 - 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 nutrition: the dishes of Bolivian cuisine are very tasty, real delicacies are cooked baked in salt. Nowhere else will you taste llama meat or chicken prepared in such an unusual way, like everything else in this fantastic place called Salar de Uyuni!
In hotels located on the edge of the Uyuni salt marsh, walls, ceilings, floors, furniture and even clocks are completely made of salt. At the same time, modern conveniences are provided in all rooms, including a sauna, a bath, a bath, a jacuzzi. One night in such an establishment will cost a tourist twenty dollars, and he will be required to comply with the main rule of the hotel, which appeared after the owners began to notice that the furniture began to decrease in size: "Don't lick!"
Saline Uyuni is notable for being the largest dry salt lake in the world: its area exceeds 10.5 thousand km2, and it is located at an altitude of 3.5 thousand meters above sea level. m. The Uyuni salt flat is located in Bolivia, in the south of the high-mountainous desert plain of Antiplano, not far from the town of Uyuni.
From the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, this unique natural phenomenon separates about 500 km to the south, and on geographic map this area can be found at the following coordinates: 20 ° 11 ′ 14 ″ S. sh., 67 ° 32 ′ 57 ″ W etc.
Local residents are convinced that the salt lake is the bitter tears of the abandoned Tunula, whom her husband, Cuzco, left with the baby in his arms and went to another, Cousin. After his departure, the woman sobbed bitterly for long days and nights - and her tears, mixed with breast milk, formed a huge salty lake, the Uyuni salt marsh (it is interesting that the Bolivians call this area just that - Tunula). The gods, seeing this, enchanted three people - and now they rise on the outskirts of the salt marsh with high mountains.
Geologists explain the appearance of this phenomenon differently. They claim that 40 thousand years ago there was Lake Minchin, which eventually dried up: the absence of tributaries and the hot sun did their job. In its place, several ordinary lakes and two salt marshes were formed, separated from each other by mountains.
The emergence of the Uyuni salt marsh was influenced by the formed reservoir, which does not have any tributaries. The water in it evaporated much faster than the precipitation fell, as a result, the amount of salt at its bottom constantly increased. After the water had completely evaporated, a solid layer of salt formed in the place of the lake, turning this area into a salt marsh.
Description
The salt layer that covers the Uyuni salt marsh is uneven and its thickness ranges from several centimeters at the edge of the salt lake to ten meters in its center. During the rainy season, a layer of water 30 cm thick collects on the surface of the salt marsh, which creates a mirror effect: the sky, sun, clouds and other objects are so accurately displayed underfoot that it seems as if all people around are literally hovering in the clouds.
But during the dry period, furrows appear on the surface of a dried-up reservoir, which, connecting with each other, form "honeycombs" - mostly hexagonal figures, but often you can see them with five, seven and even eight sides.
In the very center of the Uyuni salt marsh, there are the destroyed remains of the craters of long-asleep volcanoes, which were completely under water at the time of Lake Minchin. Their tops are covered with fossils and algae, and only bushes and cacti grow on them - the only vegetation that has adapted to life in this area.
Flora and fauna
Since the Uyuni salt marsh is completely covered with a layer of salt, it is not surprising that vegetation and fauna are practically absent here. Of the wild animals, the fox, viskashi (rodents resembling a rabbit), and alpacas live here. From plants, you can only see huge cacti, the height of which reaches twelve meters, or several types of shrubs.
During the rainy season, more than eighty species of birds fly to the Uyuni Salt Flats, among them the South American pink flamingos, which acquired their amazing colors by eating algae growing here.
The birds live here due to the fact that algae and crustaceans that they feed on are not found in freshwater waters, and therefore, being the only food for these birds, they force them to live in not very favorable places: the water here is so alkaline that if it were not for extremely thick skin, it could easily eat away living flesh.
Minerals
It is interesting that under a thick layer of salt (and there are more than 10 billion tons of it here) there is brine - water containing, in addition to salt, magnesium, gypsum, as well as the lightest metal - lithium. Geologists claim that the Uyuni salt marsh contains about 100 million tons of this metal, which is more than half of the world's reserves.
Lithium is considered a very promising metal: it is used in the manufacture of laptops, cell phones, batteries and other equipment, and presumably, it will soon find application in the mass production of batteries for electric vehicles.
Despite the new prospects, Bolivians have a negative attitude towards lithium mining in the salt marsh, and therefore foreign companies that tried to build factories here faced resistance and rejection from the authorities (which is not surprising, since the Bolivian government itself plans to tackle this issue).
Climate
The most warm weather here in the summer - in December and January, when the mercury column shows the daytime temperature within + 22 ° C, but the nights are cold here throughout the year. There is a rainy season from November to March. Tourists need to take this point into account, since the tour may well be canceled or postponed due to a large number precipitation: salt water can damage the vehicle. This period is the perfect opportunity to observe the flamingos that just fly here to nest.
In winter, it is not very cold here: temperature indicators fluctuate around + 14 ° C, but frosts are frequent at night, and a mercury thermometer can drop to -11 ° C. There is little rainfall at this time, and therefore the Uyuni salt marsh is an absolutely dense plain. Therefore, it is during this period that the peak of the tourist season falls - from June to August.
How to get to a wonderful place
Most tourists come to Uyuni from the capital of Bolivia, La Paz. There are several ways to get here from La Paz:
- Airplane - an airport was opened in Uyuni several years ago. From La Paz, you can fly here by planes of two airlines at once, which allows you to quickly get to the desired place (especially if you prefer direct flight, which does not transit into any city).
- Buses from La Paz run daily through Oruro, and therefore the total length of the road to be overcome from La Paz to Uyuni is 569 km.
- With transfers - you can get from La Paz to Oruro by bus (it will take about four hours to get there), then change to the train to Uyuni (since the bus station is located some distance from the train station, you will have to take a taxi).
Salonchak Lake Uyuni 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 whole world
Sometimes, traveling in the most forgotten and abandoned place of 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, solid 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, it is quite possible to feel like on another planet.
But, as soon as you bend over and try to taste what is under your feet, 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 de Uyuni Salar is a dry 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. Located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni in the departments of Oruro and Potosi in the south-west of the country.
Lake Uyuni - almost dry salt Lake, which is located in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni. The most important mineral resources which it possesses 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 forms the world's largest mirror. From an economic point of view, this salt marsh is very important for Bolivia, in view of its colossal reserves of salt, which is still being mined today. 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 marsh is not only used as food and souvenirs for curious tourists. They even build from it here, and inside the premises, literally everything is made of salt - couch beds, tables. Groups of overnight travelers 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 - lick everything around. But, after the disappearance of the furnishings, the owners forbade them to behave this way, and put up notices around them: "Do not lick!"
Here you can admire some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world. Magnificent landscapes with imposing salt deserts, with active volcanoes, with cactus islands and geysers. And all this looks like extraterrestrial landscapes - there are only few such places on Earth.
Uyuni geysers:
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 deviation in altitude, the Uyuni salt marsh is the most suitable tool for testing and calibrating remote sensing devices 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 ocean was used for this.
You admired the magnificent landscapes of Lake Uyuni - I hope you enjoyed it!
If you think that you know everything about salt and it cannot surprise you, then you should go to Uyuni to get to know it again in the endless snow-white desert.
Uyuni is the largest salt marsh in the world. It occupies 12106 km2, which is 5 times more area Luxembourg.
Huge Mountain Lake Minchin almost completely dried up 25,000 years ago, leaving behind a couple of small reservoirs and two giant salt marshes: Uyuni and Koipasa.
The dried up salt lake of Uyuni is the main attraction of Bolivia. Visit to the salt marsh. Hundreds of tourists come here every day to see unearthly landscapes. Most often, people strive to get to Uyuni during the rainy season - from the end of January to February - at this time the salt desert is covered with a layer of water and becomes a giant mirror in which the blue sky is reflected in contrast. But even in the dry season, the Uyuni salt marsh is incredibly beautiful, and there are even more opportunities for photography in the endless blinding white desert.
Every year about 20 tons of salt is mined here, and the total salt supply of Uyuni is estimated at 10 billion tons. The value of the salt marsh is not limited to salt. Uyuni contains about 100 million tons of lithium, which is up to 70% of the world's reserves - enough for batteries for all smartphones that will be produced in the next 100 years.
Rest in Uyuni. A surreal landscape of a dried-up lake
Uyuni - fantastic a nice place, one of the most incredible places our planet, where the sense of space is erased. to see this particular space landscape and feel like an inhabitant of another planet.
The most popular entertainment on dry lake Uyuni - creating surreal photos.
The sun, bright blue sky and endless surface of salt and without filters will make your shots unearthly and bright. And even if you find yourself here out of season, when the salt marsh is completely dry, your photos will still be fantastically beautiful! That is why Uyuni is one of the most favorite places for photographers around the world.
Tourists are photographed here standing, sitting, lying, and jumping. To create the most original photos, the guides take with them the author's attributes - from pans, on which tourists are "seated" in the frame, to dinosaurs, which add fantasticness to the frames.
By the way, evening and night photography - sunset and starry sky reflected in the water - is another separate pleasure for photographers, keep this in mind when choosing the duration of excursions.
Besides visiting salt lake, you can also visit a number of unusual places in the vicinity of Uyuni - from the "train graveyard" to geysers, thermal springs and habitats of pink flamingos:
1. Cactus Island / Inca Island Incahuasi (IslaIncahuasi)
During the time of the Incas, when caravans of lamas and chaski messengers crossed the Altiplano, this island in the middle of the salt desert served as a shelter for them for a short rest.
The island is covered with a forest of giant cacti, and from its top, truly magical views of the salt marsh and the mountains around open up.
The island can only be accessed during the dry season; there is no access to the island during the rainy season.
2. Kolchan (Colchani) - village of salt miners
Salt is the main source of income for the inhabitants of Kolchan. Guides bring tourists here to show them how salt is collected, processed and packed, and how houses are built from salt blocks. Kolchani is also known for its souvenir market, where you can buy unique products in the traditional Bolivian style - these are not sold outside Uyuni.
3. Train graveyard
The dump of rusty steam locomotives of the 19th century, left over from the time when there was a train factory in Uyuni, is especially interesting for tourists from Europe - they are new to such views. Although the rest can also find it interesting to climb the old trains and take some apocalyptic photos.
4. Volcanoes and glaciers
There are many glaciers and volcanoes in this region that you can climb: Licancabur volcano (Licancabur, 5960 meters), Candelaria glacier (Nevado Candelaria, 5995 meters), active volcano Ollague on the border with Chile (Ollague, 5865 meters).
The active Uturuncu volcano (Uturuncu, 6,020 meters) is a great opportunity to add a 6,000 meter climb to your achievements. And during the ascent to the Tunupa volcano (Tunupa, 5432 meters) from the side of the village of Kokesa, you can at the same time visit the caves with the Preinki mummies. Ascent and descent usually take 10 hours.
Climbing volcanoes is not included in the standard program group tours, but they can be included in an individual route.
It is necessary to pre-acclimatize at altitude for several days before starting the ascent.
5. Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna (ReservaNacionalDeFaunaAndinaEduardoAvaroa)
The landscapes of the Eduardo Avaroa National Park are beautiful and mesmerizing. One of the places even bears the name "Desert of Salvador Dali" - because the views are as surreal as the paintings of this artist. There are so many colors here: colorful quinoa fields, red, yellow and green lagoons with pink flamingos, snow-white mountain peaks and dark volcanoes.
Herds of wild vicunas, domestic llamas and alpacas with colored pompoms and tassels in their ears graze on huge desert fields, wild foxes run and - what is absolutely amazing! - wild ostriches.
Flora and fauna have adapted to the harsh local climate: piercing winds, scorching sun and night frosts. In some months the temperature drops to -25C at night.
6. sights National Reserve Eduardo Avaroa
- Stone tree
As water wears away a stone, so the gusts of wind change its shape over the centuries. Photos of the famous “stone tree” can often be seen on postcards and in travel guides. A huge stone block, standing on a thin "leg" is really amazing.
- Colored lagoon (LagunaColorada)
The largest of the colored lagoons - Lagoon Colorada - covers 60 km2, while the maximum depth of the lagoon is only 80 cm, and the average depth is 20 cm. The rich red-orange color of the lagoon is provided by algae and plankton, they also provide food for numerous flamingos.
The white shore of the lagoon contains sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum.
- Valley of Geysers Sol de Magnan (SoldeMan’ ana), height 4850 meters
It smells of sulfur here, and the ground is covered with seething puddles of mud and clouds of steam. But the view of the dawn valley, with pillars of steam beating out from under the ground here and there, deserves an early rise.
- Thermal springs Polkes (Polques)
You understand what happiness is when, after a cold night in a hotel with minimal amenities and a piercing icy morning wind, you find yourself in a pool with hot thermal water, where you can relax and warm up.
NB: Bring your swimwear and towel for your trip.
- Green lagoon
When strong winds blow, the lagoon turns into a deep green-blue color. This is due to the minerals in the water: lead, sulfur, arsenic, and calcium carbonates. These same minerals prevent the lagoon from being covered with ice even when the temperature drops to -20C.
During calm weather, the lagoon does not change color.
- Desert of Salvador Dali
The first tourists, passing by this desert, were amazed at its similarity with the paintings of Salvador Dali. It's hard to argue with that, judge for yourself.
Excursions and tours in Uyuni
Traditional excursion routes are designed for 1, 2 or 3 days.
One day excursion starts at 10 am in Uyuni. During the day, tourists manage to visit the Train Cemetery, the village of Kolchani, the salt marsh, the Incahuasi Island (in the dry season) and dine at the salt hotel. In the evening the group returns back to Uyuni.
Three-daytour in Uyuni, the most popular, includes all the most interesting: Uyuni Salt Flats, Incahuasi Cactus Island, Colored Lagoons with Flamingos, the Sol de Magnana Valley of Geysers, Green Lagoon, Dali Desert, Stone Tree, overnight in a salt hotel and bathing in hot thermal springs.
You can end the excursion in the city of Uyuni or in the Chilean city of San Pedro de Atacama.
What is included in the excursion:
- Travel by jeep 4x4 with a professional chauffeur
- Accommodation in hostels or hotels
- Professional English speaking guide
- Meals: all breakfasts, lunches and dinners (except breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last)
Individual route makes it possible to draw up a program taking into account the wishes of tourists and, for example, add an ascent to volcanoes.
When to go. Climate and temperature
Rain season
The rainy season in Uyuni lasts from December to February. This is exactly the time when the salt marsh becomes a giant mirror in which the sky is reflected. This period is considered the "low season", but many tourists tend to get to Uyuni exactly when it is covered with water.
During the rainy season, some areas become inaccessible - the police close access to them for security reasons. For example, you can get to Cactus Island only during the dry season.
Weather in Uyuni
It is very cold in the mountains at night, in some months the temperature drops to -10C. And during the day, the air heats up and the sun heats up very actively. Therefore, you will definitely need warm clothes for the evening and night, and light ones for the daytime.
Warmest months: November to April. At this time during the day: +18 / + 22C. At night: +3 / + 7C.
Coldest months: May to October. Daytime temperature: +12 / + 19C. Night: -7 / + 1C.
Take a good one with you sunscreen and a headdress. And, of course, sunglasses - so much reflected sunlight can be found in few places on Earth.
Acclimatization at altitude
Uyuni is located high in the mountains - during the excursion, tourists rise to a height of 4900 meters. Before traveling to Uyuni, make sure you are acclimatized and not affected by altitude sickness.
Tourist access to Uyuni
Keep in mind - as such, there are no roads here, after rain the surface of the salt marsh becomes slippery and dangerous, so we strongly recommend using the services of professional drivers.
Also on the lake there is dangerous places, on the surface of which water is boiling - not knowing these places, you risk falling through with the car.
Another problem that tourists face during excursions in Uyuni is drunk guides or drivers, as well as jeeps that have not passed the technical check, which can break down at any time and in any place. These are not just annoying little things, but life-threatening situations.
Hotels and more in Uyuni
You can visit Uyuni in one day: fly from La Paz in the morning and fly back in the evening. In this case, hotel accommodation is not required. But if you want to spend more than one day in Uyuni, spending the night in a salt hotel or right on the salt marsh can be an unforgettable adventure!
Salt hotels
Salt block walls and furniture and a thick layer of salt on the floor - this is what salt hotels look like. Accommodation is expensive due to the uniqueness of these hotels and you need to book them well in advance of the planned trip, as the number of places is limited. But be prepared for fairly basic placement conditions. In the area of the salt marsh and national park no high quality hotels.
Glamping /Glamping
Spending the night right in the middle of a salt marsh under a star-studded sky sounds tempting, right? Glamping - tents on high supports, which are set up on the Uyuni salt surface in any season: both when the salt marsh is dry and when it is covered with a layer of water. For tourists there is everything you need: a separate tent with a dry closet, delicious dinners and breakfasts and romantic privacy.
How to get to Uyuni
By plane
The fastest way to get to Uyuni.
Airlines Amazsonas and BoA operate daily flights from La Paz to Uyuni, the flight takes less than an hour.
By bus
The journey from La Paz to Uyuni takes 10 hours.
Several local companies offer night transfers in comfortable buses with reclining seats and meals. Buses arrive in Uyuni at 7-8 am.
By train
Trains run on the Oruro / Uyuni / Oruro route several times a week. Oruro is a 3-hour drive from La Paz. Buses run from Oruro to Uyuni. The schedule should be checked before planning a trip.
