The biggest salt flat in the world was created thanks to a huge Bolivia salt lake that dried up, leaving us with the largest reflecting surface, which can be seen during the rainy season. $190.00. During rainy season (january to march), a thin layer of water transforms the flats into a huge mirror which reflects the sky and where you can get amazing landscape photos, this effect has inspired photographers from around the world to visit the salt desert before it disappears, just kidding, there is approximately about 12 billion tons of salt here, we have salt for a very long time. What an incredible place. It is 3 km outside Uyuni and is connected to it by the old train tracks. The Uyuni Salt Flat is the largest of its kind in the world, with over 10,000 square km of impossibly flat and white collection of prehistoric minerals. Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni is 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. If you think that pictures of this place do it justice, then think again. Uyuni Salt Flat, Spanish Salar de Uyuni, arid, windswept salt flat in southwestern Bolivia.It lies on the Altiplano, at 11,995 feet (3,656 metres) above sea level.The Uyuni Salt Flat is Bolivia’s largest salt-encrusted waste area (about 4,085 square miles [10,582 square km]) and is separated from the Coipasa Salt Flat, a similar but smaller feature to the north, by a range of hills. See more ideas about Bolivia, Bolivia travel, South america travel. Uyuni originates from the Aymara language and means a pen (enclosure); Uyuni is a surname and the name of a town that serves as a gateway for tourists visiting the Salar. Its age was estimated by radiocarbon dating shells from outcropping sediments and carbonate reefs and varies between reported studies. The plateau includes fresh and saltwater lakes as well as salt flats and is surrounded by mountains with no drainage outlets. [3], The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. The crust serves as a source of salt and covers a pool of brine, which is exceptionally rich in lithium. Borsa, A. Salar de Uyuni of Bolivia is the largest salt flat in the world. [citation needed]. All groups travel in new, comfortable Toyota 4x4s with experienced drivers Best rated tour, with an English-fluent guide assisting you the whole trip The rail lines were built by British engineers arriving near the end of the 19th century and formed a sizeable community in Uyuni. The flats are covered with these naturally occurring hexagonal formations made by the salt crystals: The famous salt flats It's packed with useful information, helpful tips, tour provider suggestions, and loads of practical info. The Salar de Uyuni is the biggest salt flat in the world and the most famous tourist draw in Bolivia. [citation needed], Because of its location, large area, and flatness, the Salar is a major car transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano,[13] except when seasonally covered with water. Locals believed that the money infused by mining would not reach them. The 2006 analysis revealed previously missed features: ridges between 20 and 30 centimetres in height that are roughly sinusoidal with a wavelength of 5km (clearly visible in 1973 and 1975 LandSat images, and still in the same places decades later), and a moat around the periphery that is 1–3km wide and 20 to 50 cm deep. Tunupa married Kusku, but Kusku ran away from her with Kusina. On this tour Cycling the Bolivian Salt Flats & Hiking the Amazon adventure, you'll bike the famous Bolivia Salt Flats and explore the region's rich history by bike before flying into the Amazon to hike the Amazon with an indigenous guide, exploring its incredible culture and wildlife. The plateau includes fresh and saltwater lakes as well as salt flats and is surrounded by mountains with no drainage outlets. There isn't much wildlife here but there are lots of pink flamingos. Info Things to Do Tours How to Get There What to Pack Photography. It was encouraged by Bolivian President Aniceto Arce, who believed Bolivia would flourish with a good transport system, but it was also constantly sabotaged by the local Aymara indigenous Indians who saw it as an intrusion into their lives. The center of the Salar contains a few islands, which are the remains of the tops of ancient volcanoes submerged during the era of Lake Minchin. The rail construction started in 1888 and ended in 1892. I had such a fantastic time on the 3-4 day tour of Salar de Uyuni. The salt flats in Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, are the largest in the world and contain 50-70% of the world’ s lithium reserves Like much of Bolivia, the salt flats are highly elevated, positioned at 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) above sea level. Crush your Uyuni salt flats tour with this epic guide to touring Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni. SEE TODO TURISMO BUSES & PERLA DE BOLIVIA SALT FLATS BUNDLE. As the largest salt flat on Earth, Salar de Uyuni is especially suitable for this purpose. Salar de Uyuni ( Uyuni Salt Flats) is the world’s largest salt flat measuring nearly 11,000 sq km. This white desert of salt stretches as far as the eye can see, and then some more. See more ideas about Bolivia, Bolivia salt flats, Places to go. Lake Minchin (named after Juan B. Minchin of Oruro[14]) later transformed into Paleo Lake Tauca having a maximal depth of 140 meters (460 ft), and an estimated age of 13,000 to 18,000 or 14,900 to 26,100 years, depending on the source. When the surface is dry, the salar is a pure white expanse of the greatest nothing imaginable – just blue sky, white ground and you. Choosing your Bolivia salt flats tour can make or break your trip. The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. [28] However, its location in the center of a desert caused sanitation problems, as most waste had to be collected manually. All miners working in the Salar belong to Colchani's cooperative. [13], The geological history of the Salar is associated with a sequential transformation between several vast lakes. The first such hotel, named Palacio de Sal, was erected in 1993–1995[24][25] in the middle of the salt flat,[26][27] and soon became a popular tourist destination. [16], Salar de Uyuni is a popular tourist destination, and consequently a number of hotels have been built in the area. Lake Poopó is a neighbor of the much larger Lake Titicaca. Its otherworldly beauty and surreal nature have made it a hugely popular stop for backpackers and tourists. How to Reach the Bolivian Salt Flats. An evocative and eerie sight, the world’s largest salt flat measures 12,106 sq km and sits at 3653m (11,984ft). [16], Every November, Salar de Uyuni is the breeding ground for three South American species of flamingo: the Chilean, Andean, and rare James's flamingos. [31], As a result, the variation in the surface elevation over the 10,582-square-kilometer (4,086 sq mi) area of Salar de Uyuni is less than 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) normal to the Earth's circumference, and there are few square kilometers on Earth that are as flat. They originate from the variation in material density, and thus the gravitational force, beneath the Salar's sediments. Bolivia's salt flats have become somewhat of an Instagram legend. In fact, for many travelers, the Salt Flat is the sole reason to visit Bolivia. Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime - but don't go without reading this first. This huge terrain of salt that shimmers in the light covers a span of 10,582 kilometres of the Altiplano which can be seen from as far away as space! Tucked away in Bolivia’s southern region is the incredible salt flat of Uyuni (Salar De Uyuni). Buses take about 8-12 hours to reach Uyuni while taking the plane will take one hour. Definitely the highlight of my trip to Bolivia :). Following the collapse of the mine industry of Uyuni in the 1940s, train carriages have been left abandoned and unclaimed. I captured the most spectacular pictures! Uyuni salt flats. It is located in the Department of Potosi in Southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, at 3.650 meters above sea level. Salar de Uyuni spreads over 10,582 km2, which is roughly 100 times the size of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States. 1. [citation needed], Aymara legend tells that the mountains Tunupa, Kusku, and Kusina, which surround the Salar, were giant people. The brine is a saturated solution of sodium chloride, lithium chloride, and magnesium chloride in water. [19] The lithium in the salt flats contains more impurities, and the wet climate and high altitude make it harder to process. View Details. The surface reflectivity (albedo) for ultraviolet light is relatively high at 0.69 and shows variations of only a few percent during the daytime. This operator is one of the most popular offering quality services , english speaking guides and increasing in popularity all the time - book in advance to ensure you get a place. Following those findings, an American-based international corporation has invested $137 million to developing lithium extraction. This is our 3 day "sunset" salt flats tour option including English-speaking guide operated by Perla de Bolivia. Many trains were abandoned, producing the train cemetery. The engineers were invited by the British-sponsored Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Companies, now Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia. During rainy months, it turns into the world's largest mirror. They include unusual and fragile coral-like structures and deposits that often consist of fossils and algae. 3-4 day tours vary a bit from where they start and finish: [21][22][23], Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes (9.8 billion long tons; 11 billion short tons) of salt, of which less than 25,000 t is extracted annually. The relative humidity is rather low and constant throughout the year at 30% to 45%. [4] The large area, clear skies, and exceptional flatness of the surface make the Salar ideal for calibrating the altimeters of Earth observation satellites. Bolivia Salt Flat. [32][34], Hexagonal formations on the surface of the Salar de Uyuni as a result of salt crystallization from evaporating water. Modeling the topography of the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, as an equipotential surface of Earth's gravity field. The Uyuni salt flats is the greatest attraction of Bolivia. During the wet season, Titicaca overflows and discharges into Poopó, which in turn, floods Salar De Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni. The Salar de Uyuni is Bolivia's greatest attraction, and is among the most desired by Latin American travelers. [16] With an estimated 9,000,000 t, Bolivia holds about 7% of the world's known lithium resources; most of those are in the Salar de Uyuni. [20], No mining plant is currently at the site, and the Bolivian government does not want to allow exploitation by foreign corporations. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw the reflective illusion. Bolivia salt flats starting points: Uyuni, Tupiza, San Pedro de Atacama, La Paz and Sucre. Salar de Uyuni is part of the Altiplano of Bolivia in South America. [6][7][32] Using Salar de Uyuni as the target, ICESat has already achieved the short-term elevation measurement accuracy of below 2 centimeters (0.79 in). One of the top bucket list locations for South America, here are some top tips to know before heading out on a jeep tour of the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. [citation needed] The brine distribution has been monitored by the Landsat satellite and confirmed in ground drilling tests. While covering 4,000 square miles, it’s not only the largest salt … The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering an area twice the size of Delaware. The structure was created as a result of the work of wind erosion over millions of years. [16], Salt flats are ideal for calibrating the distance measurement equipment of satellites because they are large, stable surfaces with strong reflection, similar to that of ice sheets. Stretching across 10,582 square kilometres of the Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. The Altiplano is a high plateau, which was formed during uplift of the Andes mountains. The jaw-dropping lake has been placed alongside the salt flats as “Bolivia´s most incedible natural wonder”. What’s even cooler is that over this ancient Bolivian salt lake there is only an elevation change of 1 meter (3 feet) – meaning they are almost dead flat! To reach the salt flat, you must first reach the city of Uyuni, where tours are launched. However, except for January, even in the rainy season the number of rainy days is fewer than 5 per month. The Bolivian salt flats are the largest in the world and are also one of South America’s main tourist attractions. The nights are cold all through the year, with temperatures between −9 °C and 5 °C. Since the river was quite wide, these spread around the surface with a surface area of eleven kilometers long and with an altitude which is more than three thousand five hundred meters above the sea level. Uyuni´s Salt Flat is the largest salt desert in the world, with an area of 12 thousand square kilometers, 10 thousand tons of salt, and over one hundred tons of lithium. [2] It is in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above sea level. Also present are quinoa plants and queñua bushes. Just as the ocean surface rises over denser seamounts, the salt flat surface also rises and falls to reflect the subsurface density variations. Mismanagement caused serious environmental pollution and the hotel had to be dismantled in 2002. You have to feel the salt beneath your feet and gaze hard across the horizon to get the full experience. Bolivia ’s Salar de Uyuni is considered one of the most extreme and remarkable vistas in all of South America, if not Earth. Altitude sickness is not uncommon for travellers. Feb 24, 2017 - Explore Lisa May's board "Bolivia Salt Flats" on Pinterest. The Infinite Uyuni: Heaven's Mirror A dazzling white expanse framed by snowcapped mountains and volcanoes, Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni (The Uyuni salt flat) is one of South America’s most astonishing sites. The beautiful Uyuni salt flats (or Salar de Uyuni) is with its 10.582 square km (4.085 square miles) the world’s largest salt flat. However, due to environmental changes, these lakes dried up to become salt flat. About 80 other bird species are present, including the horned coot, Andean goose, and Andean hillstar. Mar 9, 2020 - Journeying with my Husband . The biggest attraction is the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world. Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. Salar has been used as a filming location for movies such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017; as planet Crait),[11][12] The Fall (2006), Salt and Fire (2016), The Unseen (2017), and several others. Visiting the Salar de Uyuni is definitely of the top things to do in Bolivia. [8] The combination of all these features makes Salar de Uyuni about five times better for satellite calibration than the surface of an ocean. It contains 50% to 70% of the world's known lithium reserves according to a 2009 Foreign Policy article by Joshua Keating. This is our 3-day salt flats tour option including English-speaking guide and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama operated b y Perla de Bolivia. Many decades ago, the salt flats in Bolivia were nothing but a huge salt lake. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 113(B10). You can reach Uyuni either by bus or place. The train graveyard is always a favourite attraction among visitors. The latter is dominated by giant cacti (Echinopsis atacamensis pasacana, Echinopsis tarijensis, etc.). It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average elevation variations within one meter over the entire area of the Salar. AMAZING! I'll never forget this place! B. Salar de Uyuni is also a climatological transitional zone since the towering tropical cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus incus clouds that form in the eastern part of the salt flat during the summer cannot permeate beyond its drier western edges, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert. Buses typically take about 8-12 hours, while the plane will only take an hour. The closest thing I've ever come to heaven on Earth. Salar de Uyuni – Bolivia Salt Flats. Salar de Uyuni is part of the Altiplano of Bolivia in South America. The once vibrant towns of San Antonio de Lipez and San Cristobal which fell into desolation and abandonment. Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia Get directions You may know Bolivia's salt flats from your Instagram feed — it happens to be the backdrop of some of the most beautiful, creative, and wacky photos on the internet, thanks to its mirror-like quality when wet and flatness that allows photographers to play with perspective. So, if this is your main purpose, consider planning your trip between January and April, when, thanks to the rain, you will be able to admire the overwhelming beauty of the mirror effect. [33], By using data from MISR to perform passive optical bathymetry when the flat is flooded and calibrating the resultant water depth model with topographical data from the laser altimeter of ICESat, it has been shown that the Salar de Uyuni is not perfectly flat. With its name originating from its appearance, the Arbol de Piedra ("Stone Tree") stands at an impressive 5 meters. [5][6][7][8][9] Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world's largest mirror, 129 kilometers (80 miles) across. [16], The area has a relatively stable average temperature with a peak at 21 °C in November to January and a low of 13 °C in June. [16], A part of Incahuasi Island inside the Salar, featuring giant cacti, Andean flamingos in the Laguna Colorada, south of the Salar, The Salar is virtually devoid of any wildlife or vegetation. Give yourself a few days to acclimatize, stay well hydrated, and follow the locals suggestion and drink coca tea. You can start in different places. GHOST TOWNS. It is also present in the top layers of the porous halite body lying under the brine; however, the liquid brine is easier to extract, by boring into the crust and pumping out the brine. It covers an area of 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq miles) and sits at 3,656 meters (11,995 feet) above sea level. Many locals consider the Tunupa an important deity and say that the place should be called Salar de Tunupa rather than Salar de Uyuni. Her tears mixed with milk and formed the Salar. The city of Uyuni is the gateway to the spectacular Salt Flats, to the lagoons and volcanoes of the Altiplano. Thus Salar de Uyuni can be loosely translated as a salt flat with enclosures, the latter possibly referring to the "islands" of the Salar; or as "salt-flat at Uyuni (the town named 'pen for animals')". Ever-since the salt flat played host to the world-famous Dakar Rally in 2014, it has gained even more attention amongst travelers. Grieving Tunupa started to cry while breastfeeding her son. Some 30,000 to 42,000 years ago, the area was part of a giant prehistoric lake, Lake Minchin. In this guide I’m going to walk you through the practical information you need to know before choosing your tour… and make the case for why you really should do the four-day tour from Tupiza (hint: because it’s straight up amazing). [29][30], One major tourist attraction is an antique train cemetery. [17], Lithium is concentrated in the brine under the salt crust at a relatively high concentration of about 0.3%. [18] However, lithium extraction in the 1980s and 1990s by foreign companies met strong opposition from the local community. It has a stable surface, smoothed by seasonal flooding — water dissolves the salt surface and thus keeps it leveled. [9], The Salar contains a large amount of sodium, potassium, lithium and magnesium (all in the chloride forms of NaCl, KCl, LiCl and MgCl2, respectively), as well as borax. Bolivia Salt Flats: Revised 2018 guide to the attractions of the Salar de Uyuni area, how to plan for the perfect trip and much more! It is STRONGLY recommended to book your tour in advance where possible and to NOT book your tour in Uyuni (book … (2008). The Altiplano is a high plateau, which was formed during uplift of the Andes mountains. The Bolivian Salt Flats in Uyuni are a MUST see for any trip to South America. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals en route to Pacific Ocean ports. Due to lack of conventional construction materials, many of them are almost entirely (walls, roof, furniture) built with salt blocks cut from the Salar. A., Bills, B. G., & Minster, J. The rainfall is also low at 1 mm to 3 mm per month between April and November, but it may increase up to 80 mm in January. Instead, it intends to reach an annual production of 35,000 t by 2023 in a joint venture with ACI Systems Alemania GmbH. "Bolivia's Lithium-Powered Future: What the global battery boom means for the future of South America's poorest country", "Assessment of ICESat performance at the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", "Investigations on the effect of high surface albedo on erythemally effective UV irradiance: Results of a campaign at the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", "Characterization of the Salar de Uyuni for in-orbit satellite calibration", Kingdoms of the Sky: Salt Flat Landscape Creates the World's Largest Mirror, "Crait: The Salar de Uyuni Star Wars Planet", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi filming locations around the world", "Tropical climate changes at millennial and orbital timescales on the Bolivian Altiplano", "Bolivia holds key to electric car future", "Bolivian lithium: why you should not expect any 'white gold rush' in the wake of Morales overthrow", "Bolivia's Almost Impossible Lithium Dream", "Bolivian Hotel Truly Is the Salt of the Earth", "Photo in the News: New Salt Hotel Built in Bolivia", "The Hills And Valleys Of Earth's Largest Salt Flat", "MISR-based passive optical bathymetry from orbit with few-cm level of accuracy on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salar_de_Uyuni&oldid=991732658, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 December 2020, at 15:13. Sign up to get the latest news and information about Salar de Uyuni. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, partly because of mineral depletion. There are proposals to build a museum from the cemetery. Salar de Uyuni is part of the Altiplano (high plateau) of Bolivia. [10], The Salar serves as the major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano and is a prime breeding ground for several species of flamingos. When it dried, it left behind two modern lakes, Poopó and Uru Uru, and two major salt deserts, Salar de Coipasa and the larger Salar de Uyuni. For comparison, that's the size of the Netherlands! The Andean fox, or culpeo, is also present, and islands in the Salar (in particular Incahuasi Island) host colonies of rabbit-like viscachas. It is covered with a solid salt crust varying in thickness between tens of centimeters and a few meters. [2] In the low-rain period from April to November, due to the absence of industry and its high elevation, the skies above Salar de Uyuni are very clear, and the air is dry (relative humidity is about 30%; rainfall is roughly 1 millimetre or 0.039 inches per month). Uyuni Salt Flat Tour 3 Days 2 Nights OPERATED BY: PERLA DE BOLIVIA. Each town is rich with history and intriguing stories. You will depart from Uyuni and during the 3 days you will travel an amazing landscape through all the idyllic places of lagoons, desert, hot springs and geysers that surround the salar. '' ) stands at an impressive 5 meters flats have become somewhat of an Instagram.... Of a giant prehistoric lake, lake Minchin the Altiplano bolivia salt flats Salar de Uyuni, salt. Uyuni salt flats in Uyuni are a MUST see for any trip to:. Has invested $ 137 million to developing lithium extraction and follow the locals suggestion and drink coca.. 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