Bolivian miracle: Uyuni salt marsh. Salt desert (Salar de Uyuni) in Bolivia

If you think 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 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 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 tend 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 photo opportunities in the boundless blinding white desert.

Every year, about 20 tons of salt are mined here, and the total salt reserve of Uyuni is estimated at 10 billion tons. The value of the salt marsh is not limited to salt. Uyuni has about 100 million tons of lithium, which is up to 70% of the world's reserves - enough to power batteries for all smartphones that will be produced in the next 100 years.

Holidays in Uyuni. Surreal landscape of a dry lake

Uyuni is fantastic a nice place, one of the most incredible places 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 pastime on the dried-up Lake Uyuni is taking surreal photos.

The sun, bright blue sky and endless salty surface without filters will make your shots ethereal and bright. And even if you find yourself here in the off-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 down, and jumping. To create the most original photo guides, they take with them the author's paraphernalia - from frying pans on which tourists are "seated" in the frame, to dinosaurs that add fantasticness to the shots.

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.

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 Incahuasi Island (IslaIncahuasi)

During the time of the Incas, when caravans of llamas and Chasca messengers crossed the Altiplano, this island in the middle salt desert served them as a shelter for a little 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. Kolchani (Colchani) - village of salt miners

Salt is the main source of income for the inhabitants of Kolchani. 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 the traditional Bolivian style - these are not sold outside of Uyuni.

3. train graveyard

A junkyard of rusty 19th-century steam locomotives, left over from the time when Uyuni had a train factory, is especially interesting for tourists from Europe - they are new to such views. Although it is also interesting for the rest to climb old trains and take some apocalyptic photos.

4. Volcanoes and glaciers

This region has many glaciers and volcanoes 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 volcano Uturuncu (Uturuncu, 6020 meters) is a great opportunity to add a climb of 6000 meters to the treasury of your achievements. And while climbing the Tunupa volcano (Tunupa, 5432 meters) from the side of the village of Kokesa, you can also visit the caves with pre-Inca mummies. 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 route.

It is necessary to preliminarily go through acclimatization at altitude for several days before starting the ascent.

5. Eduardo Avaroa National Andean Wildlife Refuge (ReservaNationalDeFaunaAndinaEduardoAvaroa)

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 fields of quinoa, red, yellow and green lagoons with pink flamingos, snow-white peaks of mountains and dark peaks of volcanoes.

Herds of wild vicunas, domestic llamas and alpacas with colored pompoms and tassels in their ears graze in the vast desert fields, wild foxes run and - which is quite 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 at night drops to -25C.

6. Attractions National Reserve Eduardo Avaroa

- Stone tree

As water sharpens 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 in guidebooks. A huge stone block standing on a thin “leg” is really amazing.

- Colored Lagoon (Lagunacolorada)

The largest of the colored lagoons - Laguna Colorada - occupies 60 km2, while maximum depth the lagoon is only 80 cm, and the average is 20 cm. The rich red-orange color of the lagoon is given 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 Magnana (SoldeMan’ ana), height 4850 meters

It smells of sulfur here, and the ground is covered with seething puddles of mud in clouds of steam. But the view of the dawn valley with pillars of steam rising from 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 of hot thermal water, where you can relax and warm up.

NB: Bring your bathing suit and towel with you.

- Green Lagoon

When a strong wind blows, the lagoon becomes a rich green-blue color. This is due to the minerals contained in the water: lead, sulfur, arsenic, and calcium carbonates. These same minerals keep the lagoon from freezing even when the temperature drops to -20C.

During the calm, the lagoon does not change color.

- Desert Salvador Dali

The first tourists, passing by this desert, were struck by 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 designed for 1, 2 or 3 days.

One day excursion starts at 10 am in Uyuni. During the day, tourists have time to visit the Cemetery of trains, the village of Colchani, the salt marsh, the island of Incahuasi (during the dry season) and dine at the salt hotel. In the evening the group returns back to Uyuni.

three daytour to uyuni, the most popular, includes all the highlights: Uyuni salt marsh, Incahuasi Cactus Island, Colored lagoons with flamingos, 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 finish the tour in the city of Uyuni or in the Chilean city of San Pedro de Atacama.

What is included in the tour:

• 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 draw up a program taking into account the wishes of tourists and, for example, add climbing 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 low season", but many tourists tend to get to Uyuni just 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 get to Cactus Island only during the dry season.

Weather in Uyuni

It is very cold at night in the mountains, in some months the temperature drops to -10C. And during the day the air heats up and the sun heats very actively. Therefore, you will definitely need warm clothes for the evening and night, and light clothes for the daytime.

Warmest months: November to April. At this time during the day: +18 / +22C. Night: +3 / +7С.

Coldest months: May to October. Day temperature: +12 / +19С. Night: -7 / +1С.

Take a good one with you sunscreen and a headdress. And, of course, sunglasses - so much reflected sunlight few other places on Earth.

Acclimatization at altitude

Uyuni is located high in the mountains - during the tour, tourists rise to a height of up to 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 dangerous places, on the surface of which water is seething - without knowing these places, you run the risk of failing along 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 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 in 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, then spending the night in a salt hotel or right on the salt marsh 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 uniqueness 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. In the area of ​​the salt marsh and national park no high end hotels.

Glamping /Glamping

Spending the night right in the middle of a salt marsh under a star-studded sky sounds tempting, doesn't it? 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. 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

Most fast way to be in Uyuni.

Amazonas and BoA airlines operate daily flights on the route La Paz - Uyuni, the flight takes less than an hour.

By bus

The drive from La Paz to Uyuni takes 10 hours.

Several local companies offer overnight 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. There are buses from Oruro to Uyuni. The schedule must be clarified before planning a trip.

Modern travelers traveling around the world and seeing a huge number of sights are rarely surprised by anything. It seems that all monuments of nature, culture and history have already been explored. However, it is not. And Uyuni Salt Lake proves it! In this article, you will learn everything about this lake.

General information about the salt marsh

There are places on our planet that are literally breathtaking. You seem to have arrived on an unknown planet. Uyuni is a salt marsh located in Bolivia, a country famous throughout the world for its deposits. Here, in the south-west of the country, at an altitude of almost 4000 above sea level, the largest salt marsh in the world is located. Its area is more than 10 thousand square meters. km.

The thickness of the salt layer sometimes exceeds 10 meters. Every year, crowds of tourists from all over the world attack Uyuni, a salt marsh that attracts not only natural beauty but also many attractions. And taking a photo against the background of the "sky mirror" is considered a real success!

The history of the formation of an amazing lake

Lake Uyuni is part of the Altiplano plateau. This mountain plateau is located at an altitude of 4 thousand meters above the sea and holds not only Uyuni, but also other small salt marshes, as well as dry lakes. How did the miracle of nature - the Uyuni salt marsh - form? Its history takes us back to ancient times. About 40 thousand years ago, the lake was part of the giant Lake Minchin. Under the influence of time, Minchin was transformed into the Tauka reservoir, then into Koipas. After drying, the lakes Uru Uru, Poopa (they still exist) and the salt marshes of Koipas and Uyuni remained. The salt marsh is subject to flooding during the rainy season, as it is flooded by the nearby Poopo and Titicaca. The water that covers the layer of salt turns it into a mirror. Tourists here have the impression that the sky is above their heads and under their feet. People seem to float in the air.

The climate of the area

The rainy season here lasts from November to March. Approximate air temperature in summer time equals 22 °C. As in many deserts and mountains, the hot day on the Bolivian plateau gives way to a cool night. During the summer months in South America it is winter, but, despite this, at such a time the main influx of tourists happens. In winter, the air temperature near Uyuni (salt marsh) reaches +13 °C, at night it drops down to -10 °C.

Because of high altitude above sea level, many tourists (especially those who are not used to changing altitudes) experience inconvenience here. Their heads are spinning, their ears are blocked. There are attacks of nausea and vomiting, but the symptoms quickly pass. The body gets used to the climate, and the locals know how to help the tourist. They advise visitors to chew coca leaves, a strong tonic that helps relieve discomfort. However, people visiting the Salar de Uyuni salt flat (Bolivia) should remember that coca leaves are not a weak drug!

Flora and fauna of the lake in the mountains

Due to the huge accumulation of salts, the local soil is unsuitable for life. Vegetation is almost non-existent here. You can only notice tall cacti and rare shrubs that the natives use as fuel. By the way, the cacti here are very interesting. Reaching a height of 12 meters, they all have different shapes and thicknesses. It is difficult to find two identical cacti.

In summer, you can see a real miracle on the salt marsh: hundreds of the most beautiful birds flock here - pink flamingos, sedately walking along the mirror surface. Chilean, Andean and James's flamingos come here every year to breed.

About 80 species of birds live nearby. Among them there are interesting individuals, such as the Andean goose and the Andean hummingbird. Also here you can see Andean foxes and small rodents viscacha. Appearance the latter slightly resembles the rabbits familiar to us.

Salt flat de Uyuni: economic importance

For the economy of Bolivia, the salt marsh is of tremendous importance. Of course, its main wealth is truly significant salt reserves. Experts suggest that there are ten billion tons of salt here. This is a huge number! At the same time, about 25 thousand tons of mineral are mined on the lake every year. Lithium is also mined here. It is used to make batteries. More than 50% of the world's supply of this substance is in Lake Bolivia.

During the dry season, the flat surface of the salt marsh is one of the main thoroughfares of the Altiplano. And of course, it is considered one of the main attractions of the country. Crowds of tourists flock here, replenishing the treasury of the state.

Another fact in favor of the lake: there is a flat mirror surface, clear skies and dry air. These are excellent conditions for testing and calibrating orbiting satellites. That is why the Salar de Uyuni is so dear to the government of Bolivia.

Local Attractions: Steam Engine Cemetery

The cemetery of locomotives is located three kilometers from the city of Uyuni. Now this once large town has a population of 15 thousand people. But once the most important railway lines of the country passed here. In the 40s of the XX century, production fell in the mines, and the city gradually began to empty. The collapse of the railway communication was not long in coming ... Locomotives and wagons were abandoned just like that.

Tourists can even see here steam locomotives, whose age is more than a century. But unfortunately all these historical objects are in a terrible and neglected condition. The authorities have tried to raise the issue of creating a museum, but so far to no avail.

Salt hotels

The inhabitants of Bolivia, who work in the extraction of salt, use it not only for food. Merchants offer visitors to the country and souvenirs made right here from salt. But the inventive people did not stop there! People who visit the Uyuni salt marsh in Bolivia and want to feel the local flavor as sharply as possible stay overnight in hotels made from blocks of salt.

The first hotels were built in the 90s of the last century. They were erected in the middle of the lake. Due to sanitation problems that have a bad effect on the environment, the hotels were demolished and rebuilt in compliance with all the rules. Now the famous salt hotels are located on the edge of the lake.

The Hotel Palacio de Sal is one of the most famous salt hotels. Walls and roof, floor, furniture, sculptures are made of salt. Tourists will also be offered a sauna and jacuzzi. The only ban on all salt block hotels is that you can't lick the surroundings!

Pescado Island

Another attraction of Uyuni is located right in the middle of the lake. Pescado Island (translated as “fish”) in the rainy season, with its outlines, really resembles a fish. The area of ​​the island is approximately 2 sq. km. Above the desert of salt rises the mouth of an ancient extinct volcano.

It is covered with many petrified corals and huge cacti. Cacti here are ancient, there are even thousand-year-old individuals. Pescado Island is famous for the ruins left from the Inca settlement.

Other local attractions

When visiting the village of Kolchani, a tourist should definitely look into the local museum, where interesting specimens of furniture and sculptures made of mineral are exhibited.

The lagoon of Lake Edionda is also interesting. There are flocks of flamingos here, and you can also watch llamas and alpacas. Flamingos also fly to the nearby Colorado Lagoon.

50 km from Lake Colorado there is a geyser basin called Sol de Magnana. The reservoir seethes and emits sulfuric gas with a characteristic unpleasant odor. You can swim in the thermal spring very close. This is especially helpful for people suffering from arthritis.

If these sights are not enough for you, then go to the Verde lagoon. This salty green lake is located almost on the state border with Chile. Sedimentary deposits with copper give an interesting color to the water.

Aymara Indians tell tourists ancient legend. The mountains surrounding the salt marsh, according to the natives, were giants in ancient times. Kusku was married to Tunupe, but fascinated by Kuzina. The giant left his wife and small child, and Tunupa shed bitter tears for a very long time. Streams of tears mixed with the milk she fed the child, and formed huge lake. The locals revere the legend of Tunul and believe that the area should be named after her.

Memo to the tourist

Going to new and unknown place Don't forget to take everything you need with you. Bring sunglasses if you don't want to squint all the time. If you wish to take a night shot of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, bring warm clothing.

The nights here are very cool. Be sure to fit in a suitcase waterproof shoes and a moisturizer, because from local climate very dry skin.

If you settle in budget hotel, take a blanket or sleeping bag. Such hotels often do not heat.

The best place to visit Uyuni is February, when the lake becomes a truly gigantic mirror. Don't forget to take photos of the cute local llamas walking along the shore. Their ears are decorated with funny earrings in different colors.

Uyuni Salt Flats: how to get there?

Tourists usually get to the salt marsh from the capital of Bolivia, the city of La Paz. Several modes of transport run to the famous lake. So, how to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia?

If you want to admire a truly wonderful view of an endless mirror lake, flocks of charming pink flamingos, live in an exotic hotel made of salt blocks and watch an ancient volcano, then be sure to visit dry lake Uyuni in South America.

SalardeUyuni/ Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia)
The Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, located in Bolivia.
Geography:
The Salar de Uyuni includes over 12,000 sq. km of land in the Potosi region. During the dry season, the salt flats are covered with dry, flat salt, but during the rainy season, the flats are covered with a thin layer of water.
This place was created as a result of the transformation of several prehistoric lakes. It is covered with salt crusts, protruding to a height of several meters. They contain 50 to 70 percent of the world's lithium reserves.
The Salar de Uyuni serves as the main transport route through the Bolivian Altiplano and is the main habitat for several species of pink flamingos.
Climate:
Salar de Uyuni is in transition climatic zones. Tropical, powerful cumulus clouds rise in the eastern part. IN western region, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert, dry weather prevails.
The area has a relatively stable temperature of 21°C in November-January and a low of 13°C in June. At night, however, it is cold throughout the year with temperatures ranging from -9 to 5°C. Relative humidity is quite low and constant throughout the year -30 - 45%. Precipitation is not high from April to November, however, January is the rainy season.
Hotels:
Many hotels have been built in the area of ​​the salt desert. Due to the lack of conventional building materials, many of them are built almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) from salt blocks carved in the area. The first such hotel was built in 1995 and soon became a popular tourist destination.
Tour:
Standard tours originate in the south towards the southwestern part of Bolivia. Here you can find many lakes with fluorescent colors, which were created from a set of different minerals from the runoff from the surrounding mountains.
The standard tour is conducted in 4x4 vehicles (usually Toyota Landcruisers) with 6 or 7 people, with a driver. Most 3 and 4 day tours have the same routes for the first 2 ½ days, a day on the salt flat, and then in southbound in the southwestern region of Bolivia, and then return back.
Accommodation is usually provided at base camps and the weather can be very cold, but it's worth it to see the amazing scenery.
First day - the world's largest salt flat
On the first day you will visit the salt flat. In the dry season, it will be a hallucinatory white landscape. When it rains, the salt flat is mostly submerged, giving a perfect reflection of the sky.

• Uyuni Plaza Arce - Most trips start here, next to railway station at 10:30, although it can also be reached from the hotel.
• Train graveyard - usually at the beginning of the tour, but some operators prefer to end the tour here. There are many destroyed old steam locomotives here.

• Colchani, Bloques de Sal is a village 7 km north of Uyuni. Salt souvenirs can be purchased here. There is also a salt museum in which there are carved animals created from salt, there are also some pieces of furniture and household appliances. Paid entrance.
• Salt mining area - an area where salt is dug up and left in heaps (weighing a ton) to dry in the sun, then transported to a refinery.

• Salt Hotels are a few hotels made entirely of salt.
• Isla de los Pescados, or Isla Incawasi. The name comes from the island, which looks like a fish during the rainy season. It is an island of fossil corals covered with 1000 year old cacti in the middle of the Salar. These cacti grow at a rate of 1 cm per year, so you can easily calculate their age. Majority tourist groups dine on the western "shore" of this island.

• Accommodation is available in San Juan, although for real enjoyment it's best to try and find hotels closer to the Salar. Then it will be possible to get up before dawn and reach the plain in 4x4 jeeps to see the most spectacular sunrise of your life.

Second day - Direction south to the colorful lakes of the lagoon (South Past Colorful Lakes –Laguna Colorada)

• Hedionda Lagoon is full of flamingos and is a popular place for lunch.
• ArboldePiedra is a stone tree that has been carved by strong, sandy winds.

• The Viscacha area - a short stop on a rocky ledge, is a Viscachas colony.
• The Colorada Lagoon is a red lake with algae. You can also see many flamingos.

Third day, morning - geysers and hot springs in Laguna Verde ( Verde).
The day starts early in the morning (5 am) and without breakfast in order to visit several of the following places:

• The SolardeManaña Geyser Pool is a collection of bubbly gray pools and the geyser is typically visited when the sun is up.
• Hot springs Termasde Polques - located next to the Salar de Chalviri. To enjoy the springs, you can bring your own swimming equipment. Popular place for breakfast.
• Lagoon Verde - decorated in green, it contains such heavy metals as arsenic, lead, copper, with a perfect view of the Lincacabur volcano

This is followed by a long drive back to Uyuni (Uyuni), or from here you can get to San Pedro de Atacama.

• Blanca Lagoon - white lake filled with boron ore.
• Lunch – Colorada Lagoon – popular place where you can dine.

Afternoon - east of Tupiza.
If you choose the four-day Tupiza tour, the itinerary will go off the beaten track and you will have the opportunity to visit several small communities. And you will also see following places:

• Celeste Lagoon is a bright blue lake colored with magnesium and manganese.
• Amarilla Lagoon - a yellow sulfur lake and some old rock paintings nearby.
• Ruinas de San Antonio is an abandoned sixteenth-century mining town where slave labor was used.

Afternoon - north of Uyuni:
The road back to Uyuni is very uneven, stop at a few small communities along the way:

• VallesdeRocas - many strange mountain valleys.

Fourth day - the trip ends at Tupiza.
The tour will take a long time to pass through beautiful landscape. The last activity before arriving in Tupiza is the Sillar. In this place there are giant clay columns formed due to erosion.
Fourth day ends at Uyuni.

• San Cristobal is a town that has a 350 year old church and a very beautiful silver altar.
• Train Graveyard - A collection of vintage trains 3 kilometers southwest of Uyuni.

The wild beauty of this vast salt desert makes the Salar de Uyuni one of the most impressive sights in South America.

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, modern amenities are provided in all rooms, including a sauna, a bath, a bathhouse, 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: “Do not lick!”

Salt marsh 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 marsh is located in Bolivia, in the south of the high-altitude desert plain of Antiplano, not far from the city of Uyuni.

From the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, this unique natural phenomenon is separated by about 500 km in a southerly direction, and on geographical map this area can be found at the following coordinates: 20° 11′ 14″ S. latitude, 67° 32′ 57″ W d.

Locals are convinced that the salt lake is the bitter tears of the abandoned Tunula, which her husband, Cusco, left with a 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 salt lake Uyuni salt marsh (it is interesting that the Bolivians call this area exactly 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 here, which dried up over time: 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 appearance 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, as a result, the amount of salt at its bottom constantly increased. After the water completely evaporated, a solid layer of salt formed in place of the lake, turning this area into a salt marsh.

Description

The layer of salt that covers the Uyuni salt marsh is uneven and its thickness is from a few centimeters on the outskirts salt lake up to ten meters in its center. During the rainy season, a 30 cm thick layer of water accumulates on the surface of the salt marsh, which creates a mirror effect: the sky, the sun, clouds and other objects are so accurately displayed under your feet that it seems as if all the people around are literally floating 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” - these are mainly hexagonal figures, but you can often see them with five, seven and even eight sides.

In the very center of the Uyuni salt marsh, there are the ruined remains of craters of long dormant volcanoes, which were completely under water during the time of Lake Minchin. Their peaks 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. Of the 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 marsh, among them are South American pink flamingos, which acquired their amazing colors by eating the algae growing here.

Birds live here due to the fact that the algae and crustaceans they feed on are in freshwater are not found, and therefore, being the only food of these birds, they force them to live in not very favorable places: the water here is so alkaline that if it were not for the extremely thick skin, it could well have eaten 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, 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 be used in mass production batteries for electric vehicles.

Despite the prospects, the people of Bolivia have a negative attitude towards lithium mining in the salt marsh, and therefore foreign companies that have tried to build factories here have faced resistance and rejection from the authorities (which is not surprising, since the Bolivian government itself plans to deal with this issue).

Climate

The most warm weather here in the summer - in December and January, when the mercury column shows the daytime temperature in the range of + 22 ° C, but the nights here are cold throughout the whole year. From November to March there is a rainy season. Tourists need to take this into account, since the tour may well be canceled or rescheduled due to a large amount of precipitation: salt water can disable the car. It is this period that is an ideal opportunity to watch flamingos, which just fly here to nest.

It is not very cold here in winter: temperatures fluctuate around +14°C, but frosts are not uncommon 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 falls tourist season– 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:

• Aircraft - a few years ago, an airport was opened in Uyuni. 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 to any city).
• Buses from La Paz go 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 (the road will take about four hours), and then transfer to the train to Uyuni (since the bus station is at some distance from the railway station, you will have to use a taxi).

most interesting and unusual lake in the world is different from everyone else. It strikes the imagination with absolutely fantastic landscapes - after heavy rains, tons of salt turn into a flat, almost mirror-like surface, in which the heavens are reflected, and it seems that the sky has inexplicably found itself on the surface of the earth.

Desert white sea

The Uyuni salt marsh, located in Bolivia near the city of Uyuni, is world famous. Its inner part is covered with hard salt deposits up to 10 meters thick, which during the day can change their shade due to the bright sun or pink dawn rays. From a distance, the desert looks endless, the cracked tiles of which seem to stretch beyond the horizon line.

Astounded tourists are fearlessly allowed into the largest place where salt is mined (about 25 thousand tons per year), not being afraid of spoiling the useful mineral, because they say that it will last for another several million years. Uyuni (salt marsh) is of great importance for the development of the country's economy, and not only salt is the reason for this. Here, lithium is mined on an industrial scale, which is used in the manufacture of batteries. Previously, the United States invested a lot of money in this particular production, but society reacted ambiguously to such an investment. Many advocated that all income received from lithium mining should remain inside Bolivia, and the local government has long been concerned about building its own plant.

Geological history

More than 40 thousand years ago, this desert was part of the huge ancient reservoir Minchin, which, when dried, left 2 lakes and 2 salt marshes, separated by hills. In the center of the largest salt desert there are peculiar islands - the tops of previously active volcanoes that have come down to our time.

In prehistoric times, they were completely submerged in the Minchin water, and now the peeking out islets are covered with various fragile fossils. There is a version that ancient lake went underground, as it is known that the Uyuni salt marsh keeps a deep pool under its surface, filled with thick salt blocks. An amazing corner is surrounded by mountains, and all table salt remains at the very bottom of the lake, the water of which contains magnesium chloride and lithium chloride.

Poor flora and fauna

The salt marsh of Uyuni (Bolivia) is devoid of any flora. If we talk about plants, then only giant cacti make their way through the thickness of salt deposits. Growing up to 12 meters high on a flat desert, they are truly fantastic spectacle. At the end of the year (for Bolivia this is summer) they fly here amazing beauty pink flamingos walking on the hard surface of a snow-white lake. Researchers know about 80 species of birds living on the salt marsh. A poor animal world is represented by colonies of rodents.

Amazing Salt Hotels

Now, near the place where the Uyuni salt marsh is located, there are unusual hotels that cannot be seen in other parts of our planet. Built in the early 90s, hotels built of salt offered all travelers who have come a long way to relax in their rooms. Having learned about such an interesting innovation, tourists hurried to stay in unique hotels. True, they were later dismantled due to sanitary problems, but soon the Uyuni (salt marsh) was replenished with a new one. modern hotel, erected on its outskirts in compliance with building standards and hygiene standards.

So salt in Bolivia is not only an enhancer of the taste of food, but also an excellent building material, from which all blocks of hotels for tourists, furniture in rooms and even clocks with sculptures are made. When placed in hotels with affordable prices for overnight stays, all travelers are strictly warned: do not taste anything. So far, however, few have resisted such a temptation. True, all those who spent the night in such a room note that salt remains literally everywhere: on clothes, hair and skin. Therefore, many people prefer exotic vacation traditional hotels.

Local residents of the village

The magical beauty of the salt marsh lake Uyuni amazes only foreigners with landscapes, and local residents, accustomed to unusual views from childhood, have to work daily on the surface of the desert, extracting tons of salt. They fold it in neat small piles, which helps the water to evaporate quickly, and subsequently such mounds are easy to transport. Many try to survive due to numerous tourist excursions, selling souvenirs (all kinds of crafts), which simply surprises the imagination of tourists with its variety.

By the way, next to the salt marsh there is a small local museum, which presents amazing figures made of salt. Yes, and the houses of the inhabitants, located on the outskirts of the village, are built from this solid mineral. Tourists freeze in place from the stunning view of the boiling-white streets and houses against the backdrop of the same snow-white endless field.

Uyuni Salt Flats: how to get there?

An amazing corner is located at an altitude of about 3.6 thousand meters above the ground, which prevents many curious people from reaching their destination. But this even benefits the lost place, because its remoteness from civilization maintains a stable ecological situation.

To get to the most unique point on the globe, you need to get to the town of the same name Uyuni by train, plane or by regular bus. In a small settlement there is a huge number of tourist offices offering their services. If someone does not want to join organized excursion in jeeps, he can make an individual trip in a car with a driver who will quickly take you to the desert.

The phenomenon of the sky under your feet

The rainy season here runs from November to March, and the temperature is kept at 22 degrees Celsius. On days of heavy precipitation, excursions to the lake are suspended, as salty water can cause corrosion of vehicles. Despite the fact that in winter it is quite cool here, it is the period of June-August that is the season for tourists from all over the globe. The most beautiful phenomenon is when, after rain, the amazing Uyuni salt marsh is filled with water by several centimeters. A photo of a mirror surface with running clouds reflected on it causes genuine amazement for everyone who encounters this phenomenal landscape for the first time.

The space seems to be expanding, and a visual illusion arises, in which it seems as if not the earth under your feet, but the sky itself is thrown down. Visible boundaries in this place disappear, forcing everyone who sees the world inside out to admire the natural sights. The Uyuni salt marsh, protected by mountains, is a quiet and calm area with a complete absence of winds. For the sake of the spectacle of the brilliant surface, travelers from all over the globe rush to visit the enchantingly beautiful place.

True, many who arrive here experience an unpleasant state of dizziness and shortness of breath associated with acclimatization. And it takes a few days for the body to fully get used to being so high above sea level.

Abandoned train graveyard

However, before getting to the salt marsh, all travelers visit one more attraction. small town, which once upon a time was the center of the country with railway lines passing here. The economic situation, which was not developing in the best way, led to a decrease in the income of the mining industry.

Abandoned wagons and locomotives on the territory of the salt desert, which has become a real cemetery of trains, are now reminiscent of the railway in the city. Local authorities the question of creating a museum on this site has been repeatedly raised, since many copies abandoned to the mercy of fate are over 100 years old, and they are all now in a ruined and rusty state. Unfortunately, there is still a cemetery under open sky no one is involved, and the question of preserving the heritage remains open for a long time.

Everyone who goes on a long journey needs to take certain things with them so that a trip to the Uyuni Salt Flats (Bolivia) brings only positive emotions.

• Moisturizing cream for constantly dry skin.
• Sunglasses. The light is so bright here that it hurts the eyes.
• Warm clothes, because even in the summer in the desert it is always cool evenings.
• A sleeping bag for those who want to meet the sunrise by the lake.
• Rubber boots.
• National flag. There is a special platform in front of the salt hotel, inside which tourists leave the symbol of the country as a keepsake.

Conclusion

Salt lake Uyuni (Bolivia) with extraterrestrial landscapes will always attract travelers who want to walk on the sky thrown to the ground and enjoy the unique views to the fullest. stunning endless expanses will give free rein to the imagination, and a quiet place will remain in memory for a long time, like a real giant mirror, in which clouds always rushing somewhere are reflected.