Dry salt lake of Uyuni. Tour to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia
Location: Bolivia
Square: 10,588 km²
Coordinates: 20°10"41.9"S 67°30"48.6"W
Short description
It is impossible to surprise a modern traveler, spoiled by a huge number of offers from travel agencies. Many sights, architectural and historical monuments in various cities and countries are so amazing and unique that it seems simply impossible to see an even more amazing creation of ancient people or a miracle created by nature itself.
View of the Uyuni salt marsh
However, this is a big misconception. There is always something in the world that amazes the imagination; something that takes your breath away; something where you want to return again and again. In this material we will talk about the largest lake in the world, but, as you might guess, not an ordinary body of water, but a beautiful dried salt lake - the Salar de Uyuni.
Lake Uyuni Salar is located in Bolivia, in the southwest of this amazing country, in the vicinity of the city of Uyuni, on the territory of the departments of Potosi and Oruro and at an altitude of almost 4,000 meters (!) above sea level. This is the largest salt marsh in the world, its area exceeds 10,500 square kilometers, and the thickness of the salt layer in some places is almost 10 meters. Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists from all corners of our vast planet come here to see with their own eyes the “endless kilometers” of salt expanses, visit unusual salt hotels and capture on cameras and video cameras this miracle of nature, which, by the way, can change its appearance more than once during the day. coloring
Mounds of salt
Salar de Uyuni: history of formation
Before talking about the history of the formation of the largest salt lake, Uyuni, it is perhaps worthwhile to dwell a little on what salt marshes are and how they appear. All salt marshes on our planet were formed on the site of former water basins. In a lake where there is no runoff, and the rate of moisture evaporation exceeds the amount of precipitation that falls on the given territory, the concentration of salt in the water increases over time. When the water completely evaporates, a hard salt crust forms on the surface, which allows scientists to call the drying lake a salt marsh.
The Uyuni Salar is part of the Bolivian Altiplano mountain plateau, which, as mentioned above, is located at an altitude of about 4,000 meters above sea level. On this plateau, in addition to Uyuni, there are other salt marshes of much smaller size, as well as freshwater and salt lakes.
Salt mining
The history of the formation of the largest Bolivian salt marsh goes back to prehistoric times. About 30-40 thousand years ago, Uyuni was part of the huge Lake Minchin, which, under the influence of time, was transformed first into Lake Tauka, and later into Coipasa. After its partial drying, there remained two existing lakes Poopo and Uru Uru, and two salt marshes - Coipasa and Uyuni, separated from each other by a number of hills.
During the rainy season, Lake Poopo and its much larger neighbor, Titicaca, overflow their banks and cause natural flooding of the salt marshes of Coipas and Uyuni. The small amount of water that covers the salt layer of Uyuni transforms the salt desert into the world's largest mirror. “Having found yourself in any part of the salt marsh during the period when it is covered with water, it seems that you suddenly found yourself on another planet: the sky is both above and under your feet. The spectacle is indescribable in words. It creates a feeling of “floating in the air.” However, when you put your hand in the water and grab a handful of what you’re standing on, you realize that there’s a ton of salt around, which seems to never end,” a tourist who visited Lake Uyuni shares his impressions.
Indeed, the salt reserves in the Uyuni salt marsh are truly enormous. According to rough estimates by experts, there is about 10 billion (!) tons of salt here, and approximately 25 thousand tons of this natural mineral are mined in this area every year. First of all, it should be noted that the Uyuni salt flat is of great importance for the Bolivian economy. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the fact that it stores huge quantities of lithium chloride, from which lithium is extracted, which is used in the production of rechargeable batteries.
An equally ancient legend is associated with the ancient lake, its essence is as follows... A long time ago, the mountain ranges that today surround Uyuni, Tunupa, Cusca and Kuzina were giant people. Kusku married Tunupa, but the beautiful Cousin managed to charm him. Kusku left his wife and ran away from home, even though a child was growing up in the family. Tunupa grieved for a long time, shedding tears day and night. Her tears mixed with the breast milk that she fed her son, and they formed a snow-white salt marsh lake. For Bolivians, Tunupa is a deity whose name, in their opinion, the lake should bear.
Salar de Uyuni salt hotels
Local residents who extract and process salt from Uyuni use it not only as a seasoning for food. Traders offer all travelers who come to admire one of the main attractions of Bolivia to buy a souvenir made from this natural mineral. In addition, city guests are invited to stay in hotels in which the walls, roof and some furniture are made not of expensive modern building materials, but of... salt.
Such hotels were first built in the mid-90s, in the very “heart” of the salt marsh. The news about such colorful hotels instantly spread throughout all countries: the influx of tourists exceeded all expectations. However, due to many sanitation problems that adversely affected the surrounding area, the hotels were closed and dismantled. Over time, they were rebuilt again, but on the outskirts of the salt marsh and in compliance with all environmental norms and standards.
One of the salt hotels
Modern salt hotels have all the necessary amenities, including a sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. The daily cost of such apartments will cost a tourist about 20 US dollars.
Lake Uyuni Salar: Train Graveyard
When going to Bolivia to Lake Uyuni as part of an excursion group, almost all tourists, at the beginning or at the end of their trip, make a stop at the train cemetery. Today the population of the town of Uyuni does not exceed 15 thousand people, and it was once a major center of Bolivia with a network of railway tracks. The decline in income from the mining industry, which began back in the 40s of the last century, led to the complete collapse of the railway in this territory. Huge electric locomotives, locomotives, carriages and trolleys were abandoned. Some examples of the train graveyard are over a hundred years old. Among them you can even find locomotives from Garratt and Meyer (these people were among the first to build articulated locomotives), but, unfortunately, they are all in rather poor condition. In 2006, the local administration raised the issue of creating an open-air museum on this site, but so far this idea has not been brought to life.
Train Graveyard
Salar de Uyuni: flora, fauna and climate
On the territory of the world's largest salt lake, as you might guess, there is practically no vegetation, the only exceptions being 10-meter cacti and small shrubs, which local residents use as fuel. In the period from November to December, which, by the way, is considered summer in Bolivia, you can see another stunning picture here: hundreds of pink flamingos walking along the endless salty surface of the lake. In some areas of the Uyuni salt marsh live foxes and small viscacha rodents, somewhat reminiscent of the well-known rabbits.
The rainy season begins in November and ends in March. The air temperature in the Uyuni salt marsh area in summer is +22 degrees Celsius. A hot day in Bolivia always gives way to cold nights. June, July, August (winter in South America) are considered the tourist season, despite the fact that during the day the air warms up only to +13 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature can drop sharply to -10.
As mentioned above, the Uyuni salt marsh is located quite high above sea level, and tourists arriving from the flat area will experience discomfort for several days (dizziness, attacks of nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath and headache). It will take several days for the body to get used to the new climate. Local residents chew coca leaves to keep their spirits up. The townspeople also advise visitors to use them, saying that they help fight unpleasant sensations. However, all travelers should know that coca leaves not only have a tonic effect, but are also a powerful drug that can cause persistent addiction in a short period of time.
In hotels located on the edge of the Uyuni salt marsh, walls, ceilings, floors, furniture and even clocks are made entirely of salt. At the same time, all rooms provide modern amenities, including a sauna, bath, bathhouse, and 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 shrink in size: “No licking!”
The Uyuni Salar 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 m above sea level. m. The Uyuni salt marsh is located in Bolivia, in the south of the high desert plain of Antiplano, near the city of Uyuni.
From the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, this unique natural phenomenon is separated by about 500 km in a southern direction, and on the geographical map this area can be found at the following coordinates: 20° 11′ 14″ S. latitude, 67° 32′ 57″ W. d.
Local residents are convinced that the salt lake is the bitter tears of the abandoned Tunula, whom her husband, Cusco, left with a baby in her 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 salt lake, the Uyuni salt marsh (interestingly, that’s what the Bolivians call this area - Tunula). The gods, seeing this, enchanted the three people - and now they rise high mountains on the outskirts of the salt marsh.
Geologists explain the appearance of this phenomenon differently. They claim that 40 thousand years ago there was Lake Minchin here, which dried up over time: the lack 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 appearance of the Uyuni salt marsh was influenced by the formed reservoir, which did not have any tributaries. The water in it evaporated much faster than 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 place of the lake, turning the area into a salt marsh.
Description
The layer of salt that covers the Uyuni salt marsh is uneven and its thickness ranges from a few centimeters on the outskirts of the salt lake to ten meters in its center. During the rainy season, a layer of water 30 cm thick accumulates 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 the people around are literally floating in the clouds.
But during the dry period, grooves appear on the surface of a dried-up reservoir, which, connecting with each other, form a “honeycomb” - these are mostly hexagonal shapes, but can often be seen with five, seven or even eight sides.
In the very center of the Uyuni salt marsh there are the destroyed remains of the craters of long-dormant volcanoes, which at the time of Lake Minchin were completely under water. Their tops are covered with fossils and algae, and only bushes and cacti grow on them - the only vegetation adapted to life in this area.
Flora and fauna
Since the Uyuni salt flat is completely covered with a layer of salt, it is not surprising that there is practically no vegetation and fauna here. Among the wild animals that live here are foxes, viscaches (rodents that resemble rabbits), and alpacas. The only plants you can see are 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 marsh, among them the South American pink flamingos, which acquired their amazing colors by eating algae algae growing here.
Birds live here because the algae and crustaceans on which they feed are not found in freshwater, and therefore, being the only food for these birds, force them to live in not very favorable places: the water here is so alkaline that, if not for the extremely thick skin, could easily corrode living flesh.
Minerals
It is interesting that under the thick layer of salt (and there is more than 10 billion tons of it here) there is brine - water containing, in addition to salt, magnesium, gypsum, and also the lightest metal - lithium. Geologists say 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 will soon find use in the mass production of batteries for electric vehicles.
Despite the prospects, Bolivians have a negative view of lithium mining in the salt flat, and therefore foreign companies that have tried to build factories here have encountered resistance and rejection from the authorities (which is not surprising, since the Bolivian government itself is planning to address this issue).
Climate
The warmest weather here in summer is in December and January, when the mercury shows daytime temperatures of +22°C, but the nights here are cold throughout the year. From November to March there is a rainy season. Tourists need to take this point into account, since the tour may well be canceled or rescheduled due to large amounts of precipitation: salt water can damage a car. This period is an ideal opportunity to watch flamingos, which just fly here to nest.
In winter it is not very cold here: temperatures fluctuate around +14°C, but frosts are common at night, and the mercury thermometer can drop to -11°C. There is little precipitation here at this time, and therefore the Uyuni salt marsh is an absolutely dense plain. Therefore, it is during this period that the peak tourist season falls - from June to August.
How to get to this wonderful place
Mostly 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 on planes of two airlines at once, which allows you to quickly get to your desired destination (especially if you give preference to a direct flight that does not transit to any city).
- Buses from La Paz go daily through Oruro, and therefore the total length of the road to be covered from La Paz to Uyuni is 569 km.
- With transfers - you can get from La Paz to Oruro by bus (the journey will take about four hours), and then transfer to a train going to Uyuni (since the bus station is located some distance from the railway station, you will have to take a taxi).
If you think you know everything about salt and it won’t 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 covers 12,106 km2, which is 5 times the area of Luxembourg.
The huge mountain lake Minchin almost completely dried out 25,000 years ago, leaving behind a couple of small reservoirs and two giant salt marshes: Uyuni and Coipasa.
The dry 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 try to get to Uyuni during the rainy season - from late 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 photo opportunities in the boundless blinding white desert.
About 20 tons of salt are mined here every year, and Uyuni's total salt reserves are estimated at 10 billion tons. The value of the salt marsh is not limited to salt. Uyuni contains about 100 million tons of lithium, representing up to 70% of the world's reserves - enough to power all the smartphone batteries produced in the next 100 years.
Holidays in Uyuni. Surreal landscape of a dry lake
Uyuni is a fantastically beautiful place, one of the most incredible places on our planet, where the sense of space is erased. to see exactly this cosmic landscape and feel like an inhabitant of another planet.
The most popular entertainment on the dry Lake Uyuni is creating surreal photos.
The sun, bright blue sky and endless expanse of salt, without filters, will make your shots unearthly and vibrant. 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 take pictures here standing, sitting, lying down, and jumping. To create the most original photos, the guides take with them the author’s paraphernalia - from frying pans on which tourists are “seated” in the frame, to dinosaurs that add fantasticality to the shots.
By the way, evening and night photography - sunset and starry sky reflected in the water - is another special pleasure for photographers, keep this in mind when choosing the duration of excursions.
In addition to visiting the 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 times of the Incas, when caravans of llamas and chasque messengers crossed the Altiplano, this island in the middle of the salt desert served as a refuge for them to take a short rest.
The island is covered with a forest of giant cacti, and from its top there are truly magical views of the salt marsh and the mountains around.
The island can only be accessed during the dry season; during the rainy season there is no access to the island.
2. Kolchani (Colchani) - salt mining village
Salt is the main source of income for the residents of Kolchan. Guides bring tourists here to show how salt is collected, processed and packaged and how houses are built from salt blocks. Colchani is also known for its souvenir market, where you can buy unique products in traditional Bolivian style - these are not sold outside of Uyuni.
3. Train Graveyard
The junkyard of rusty 19th-century steam locomotives, left over from the days when Uyuni had a train factory, is especially interesting to tourists from Europe - such sights are new to them. Although others might find it interesting to climb around old trains and take a few apocalyptic photos.
4. Volcanoes and glaciers
There are many glaciers and volcanoes in this region that you can climb: the Licancabur volcano (5960 meters), the Candelaria glacier (Nevado Candelaria, 5995 meters), the active Ollague volcano on the border with Chile (Ollague, 5865 meters).
The active volcano Uturuncu (6020 meters) is an excellent opportunity to add a climb of 6000 meters to your achievements. And while climbing the Tunupa volcano (5432 meters) from the village of Kokesa, you can also visit caves with pre-Inca mummies. The ascent and descent usually take 10 hours.
Climbing volcanoes is not included in the program of standard group tours, but they can be included in an individual itinerary.
It is necessary to first undergo acclimatization at altitude for several days before starting the ascent.
5. National Reserve of Andean Fauna named after Eduardo Avaroa (ReservaNationalDeFaunaAndinaEduardoAvaroa)
The landscapes of the Eduardo Avaroa National Park are beautiful and mesmerizing. One of the places is even called “Salvador Dali’s Desert” - because the views are as surreal as the paintings of this artist. There is so much color here: colorful quinoa fields, red, yellow and green lagoons with pink flamingos, snow-white mountain peaks and dark volcanoes.
Herds of wild vicuñas, domesticated llamas and alpacas with colored pom-poms and tassels in their ears graze on huge desert fields, wild foxes run and - what is quite surprising! - wild ostriches.
Flora and fauna have adapted to the harsh local climate: piercing winds, scorching sun and night frosts. In some months the temperature at night drops to -25C.
6. Attractions of the Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve
- Stone tree
Just as water wears away a stone, so gusts of wind change its shape over the centuries. Photos of the famous “stone tree” can often be seen on postcards and guidebooks. A huge block of stone standing on a thin “leg” is truly amazing.
- Colored Lagoon (LagunaColorada)
The largest of the colored lagoons - Laguna Colorada - occupies 60 km2, while the maximum depth of the lagoon is only 80 cm, and the average is 20 cm. The rich red-orange color of the lagoon is given by seaweed and plankton, which also provide food for numerous flamingos.
The white shore of the lagoon contains sodium, magnesium, borax and gypsum.
- Valley of Geysers Sol de Mañana (SoldeMan’ ana), height 4850 meters
The place smells of sulfur, and the ground is covered with bubbling puddles of mud and clouds of steam. But the sight of the dawn valley with columns of steam gushing out of the ground here and there deserves an early rise.
- Polkes thermal springs (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.
N.B.: Bring a swimsuit and towel for your trip.
- Green Lagoon
When a strong wind blows, the lagoon turns a rich green-blue color. This is due to the minerals contained in the water: lead, sulfur, arsenic, and calcium carbonates. These same minerals prevent the lagoon from becoming covered with ice even when the temperature drops to -20C.
During calm periods, the lagoon does not change color.
- Desert by Salvador Dali
The first tourists, driving past this desert, were struck by its similarity to the paintings of Salvador Dali. It’s hard to argue with this, judge for yourself.
Excursions and tours in Uyuni
Traditional excursion routes are designed for 1, 2 or 3 days.
One day excursion starts at 10am in Uyuni. During the day, tourists have time to visit the Train Cemetery, the village of Kolchani, the salt marsh, Incahuasi Island (during the dry season) and have lunch at the salt hotel. In the evening the group returns back to Uyuni.
Three daystour to Uyuni, the most popular, includes all the most interesting: the Uyuni salt marsh, the Incahuasi Cactus Island, the Colored Lagoons with flamingos, the Valley of Geysers Sol de Mañana, the Green Lagoon, the Dali Desert, the Stone Tree, an overnight stay in a salt hotel and swimming in hot thermal springs.
You can finish the tour in the city of Uyuni or in the Chilean city of San Pedro de Atacama.
What is included in the excursion:
- Travel by 4x4 jeep with a professional driver
- 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 create a program taking into account the wishes of tourists and, for example, add climbing 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 strive to get to Uyuni precisely when it is covered with water.
During the rainy season, some areas become inaccessible - the police close access there for security reasons. For example, you can only get to Cactus Island during the dry season.
Weather in Uyuni
Nights in the mountains are very cold, with temperatures dropping to -10C in some months. 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 / +1С.
Bring good sunscreen and a hat. And, of course, sunglasses - so much reflected sunlight can rarely be found anywhere else on Earth.
Acclimatization at altitude
Uyuni is located high in the mountains - during the excursion, tourists rise to a height of up to 4900 meters. Before traveling to Uyuni, make sure you are acclimatized and will not be affected by altitude sickness.
Tourist access to Uyuni
Keep in mind that 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.
There are also dangerous places on the lake, on the surface of which water boils - without knowing these places, you risk falling through with your car.
Another problem that tourists face during excursions in Uyuni is drunken guides or drivers, as well as jeeps that have not passed technical checks, which can break down at any time and anywhere. 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 will not be required. But if you want to spend more than one day in Uyuni, then spending the night in a salt hotel or right on the salt flat can be an unforgettable adventure!
Salt hotels
Walls and furniture made of salt blocks and a thick layer of salt on the floor - this is what salt hotels look like. Accommodation is expensive due to the unique nature of these hotels and you need to book them well in advance of your planned trip, as the number of places is limited. But be prepared for fairly basic accommodation conditions. There are no high-level hotels in the area of the salt marsh and national park.
Glamping /Glamping
Spending the night right in the middle of a salt marsh under a star-strewn sky sounds tempting, right? Glamping - tents on high poles that are installed on the salt surface of Uyuni in any season: both when the salt marsh is dry and when it is covered with a layer of water. Tourists have everything they need: a separate tent with a dry closet, delicious dinners and breakfasts and romantic solitude.
How to get to Uyuni
By plane
The fastest way to get to Uyuni.
Amazsonas and BoA airlines 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 overnight travel in comfortable buses with reclining seats and meals. Buses arrive in Uyuni at 7-8 o'clock in the morning.
By train
Trains operate on the Oruro/Uyuni/Oruro route several times a week. The city of Oruro is 3 hours' drive from La Paz. There are buses from Oruro to Uyuni. The schedule must be clarified before planning a trip.
When the Uyuni salt marsh is covered with water, it looks like a huge mirror reflecting the skyThe Uyuni salt marsh is made of gypsum, and its inner surface, which has a depth of 2 to 8 m, is covered with a layer of rock salt - halite. According to experts, it contains at least 10 billion tons of table salt.
From November to March, when the rainy season comes to the plateau, the surface of the salt marsh is covered with a thin layer of water, and then Uyuni resembles a giant mirror. The horizon line becomes almost invisible, the surface of the lake merges with the sky, and the landscapes around the Uyuni salt marsh acquire an unearthly beauty. Excellent conditions for photographers!
Many tourists from different countries of the world come to look at the endless snow-white ocean of salt or the wonderful mirror surface. The peak tourist season is from June to August. Especially for travelers, local residents have built hotels, the walls of which are made of salt blocks, and you can spend the night in them. A night in a salt hotel costs about $20. The owners even post notices for guests asking “not to lick” the interior items.
Next to the salt marsh is the mining town of Uyuni, home to 10.6 thousand inhabitants. Here you can see several monuments to workers, a monument to a railway carriage and sculptures in the steampunk style. The town is small; an hour is enough to explore it.
The inhabitants of Bolivia have a beautiful legend about the birth of the Uyuni salt marsh. It is framed by the Kusku, Kuzina and Tunupa mountain ranges. The Aymara Indians believe that these mountains were once inhabited by giant people. Tunupa was Kusku's wife and bore him a son. However, the beautiful Cousin separated the spouses, and Kusku went to live with her, taking with him the infant. Tunupa was very worried about what happened and cried. Her tears mixed with breast milk and gave birth to a huge salt marsh. Since then, local residents have called it Tunupa.
Origin of the Uyuni Salt Flat
In ancient times, on the Altiplano there was a huge reservoir called Minchin, the depth of which reached 100 meters. About 40 thousand years ago, due to the hot sun and lack of tributaries, it began to shallow. Gradually, on the site of Minchin, two lakes (Uru Uru and Poopo) and two large salt marshes - Uyuni and Salar de Coipasa - formed. By the way, the Coipasa salt marsh with an area of 2,218 km² is the second largest in Bolivia after Uyuni.
Climatic features
On the high plateau where the Uyuni salt marsh lies, the air temperature is stable. From November to January, the thermometer during the daytime reaches +21...+22°C, and in June it drops to +13°C. Since the salt marsh is located at an altitude of more than 3500 m above sea level, it is cold at night at any time of the year. In July, temperatures drop below 0°C and can sometimes drop to -10°C.
Relative humidity in the mountain plateau area is always low - 30-45%. The air is dry and precipitation is low. Even during the rainy season, there are only five days of precipitation per month.
Industrial significance of the salt marsh
The Uyuni Salt Flat plays a large role in the Bolivian economy. Rock salt is mined there. Every year it reaches 25 thousand tons. Tourists can visit the small village of Colchani, located 22 km from the city of Uyuni, in the east of the salt marsh. Its residents have long been involved in salt mining, and most of the village's houses are built from rock salt blocks.
The salt marsh also contains huge reserves of lithium chloride. From this salt, the light alkali metal lithium, necessary for the production of batteries, is extracted. Uyuni contains from 50 to 70% of all lithium reserves on the planet - about 100 million tons. There are also large reserves of magnesium chloride here.
The Uyuni salt marsh has been used in space exploration of the earth's surface. It is used to calibrate and test remote sensing instruments carried on orbiting satellites. Calibration at Uyuni is five times more successful than at the surface of the ocean. The reason for this is the high reflectivity, large size and flat surface of the salt lake.
Salt in Uyuni is mined for the needs of the food industry and for making tourist souvenirs. Rock salt blocks are used not only to make walls, but also to make tables, beds and various interior decorations.
The first salt hotels appeared in the 1990s in the very center of the salt marsh, and they became very popular among tourists. However, due to non-compliance with sanitation standards, such hotels heavily polluted the environment, and local authorities decided to dismantle them. The hotels were rebuilt on the outskirts of the Uyuni salt marsh. Now they work in compliance with all sanitary rules and environmental standards.
Panorama of the Uyuni salt marshWhat you can see in the Uyuni salt flat
In November, when the rainy season begins, more than 90 species of birds come here to breed, including three species of flamingos. They feed on algae algae and crustaceans, and from this the feathers of graceful birds acquire a bright pink color. The salt marsh is also home to several rare species of hummingbirds.
The area surrounding the Uyuni salt marsh is home to rabbit-like rodents - viscachas, foxes and alpacas. Soft and extremely warm, alpaca wool is similar in properties to sheep wool, but much lighter. It has long been used by local residents to make blankets, rugs and clothing items.
The surface of the Uyuni salt marsh is covered with large salt “honeycombs”. At the beginning of spring, when the rainy season ends, the salt crust dries out. The water that has accumulated below begins to break out through it to the surface, and small cone-shaped volcanoes are formed.
Uyuni is almost completely devoid of vegetation. In its center there are several islands, which, by their geological origin, are craters of volcanoes extinct in ancient times. During the existence of Lake Minchin, they were entirely hidden under the surface of the water.
Many tourists travel by jeep to Fish Island (Isla de los Pescados), covered with coral deposits. Giant cereus cacti up to 10 m high grow here. Botanists believe that the age of individual specimens exceeds 1200 years. In addition to cacti, several types of shrubs grow on the island, and local residents use them as fuel. There are also three small restaurants on Pisces Island for travelers to rest and refresh themselves.
Fish IslandAnother attraction of the huge salt marsh is the Valley of Stones (Valles de Rocas). This is the name of the place where you can see unusual stone remains. The bizarre shapes of these stone sculptures were created over many millions of years by the forces of wind, water and sunlight. And in the center of Uyuni there is a platform made of blocks of rock salt. Travelers leave flags of their countries on it.
3 km from the city of Uyuni, near the single-track railway line leading from Bolivia to the northern provinces of Chile, there is an unusual museum - the “graveyard” of steam locomotives (Cementerio de Trenes). Here, in the open air, you can see examples of rusted railway equipment that were used until the middle of the last century. Steam locomotives were abandoned as unnecessary after production from local mines fell sharply. Of particular interest are the articulated steam locomotives of the Meyer and Garratt systems.
Video: Reflections from Uyuni
Salt perfectly reflects sunlight. It glitters so much that it hurts your eyes, so it is difficult to do without sunglasses and a hat on the Uyuni salt marsh. Experts advise to be sure to use sunscreen, because you can get very sunburned in 1-2 hours.
In addition, you need to understand that the salt marsh is located in the highlands, and some tourists at the beginning of the trip may experience signs of altitude sickness - lethargy, apathy, dizziness, nausea and sleep disturbances. It takes time for your health to normalize. A local acclimatization remedy is coca leaf tea.
The cheapest salt flat tours are sold in the city of Uyuni or online. They are usually designed for two days and two nights so that tourists can explore the main local attractions. Many people travel around the Uyuni salt flat on their own using rented transport.
How to get there
The Uyuni salt marsh is located 500 m south of the city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. The nearest settlement is the small town of Uyuni.
Since 2011, an international airport (El Aeropuerto Joya Andina) has been opened next to the salt marsh. Two local airlines fly here from the Bolivian capital. Traveling by air is the fastest way to get to the salt marsh, as the flight takes only 40-45 minutes.
In addition, you can come to the Uyuni salt marsh by land transport - a rented car or bus. Tourist buses operate from La Paz and other major cities. The length of the road from the capital through the city of Oruro is 569 km. Tourists leave La Paz at 21.00 and arrive in Uyuni in the morning; accordingly, they travel from 10 to 15 hours.
There is another route option: you can travel from La Paz to Oruro by bus in 4 hours, and then get to Uyuni by local train.
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 Salar 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 Salar serves as the main transport route into the Altiplano.
Thanks to the development of tourism in the Uyuni salt flat, local residents began to build hotels from salt blocks where they 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.
