In the middle of the Andes south of Boliva is the world’s largest salt desert: the Salar de Uyuni. With an area of more than 10,000 km² and about 3650 meters above sea level, it is a consequence of the fact that Lake Minchin dried more than 10 thousand years ago and left a desert spot of bright white salt, of which it is estimated that about 25 thousand tons of salt are extracted annually and cormercialized.
Despite being a salt desert, in the salt can be seen 3 species of flamingos, cacti up to 10 meters high and mummies about 3,000 years old.
The Salar de Uyuni is one of the main tourist destinations in Bolivia, is visited by about 60 thousand tourists a year.
If you want to go to the salt flat, you have 2 options from La Paz:
1) Bus – Daily departures during the night and the trip has an approximate duration of 10 hours. It is recommended to take buses with reclining seats.
2) Airplane – Daily flights, in the morning and at night, the flight lasts around 45 minutes.
The Salar de Uyuni can be visited all year round, but keep in mind that climates vary according to the months:
Mid-April to November – Dry season.
November to mid-April – Rainy season. At this time you can see the mirror effect in the salt flats but there are places that cannot be accessed and the itinerary changes.
Photo: Lucca Picciau
Eric Adventures offers you the tour to the Uyuni Salt Flat 3 days / 2 nights. We can organize all your trip in Bolivia, Perú and all South América!
