Salar de Uyuni
Uyuni Saline is a dried up salt lake on the desert plateau of the Altiplano, which is located in southwestern Bolivia. The salt marsh lies in the foothills of the Andes, at an altitude of 3,560 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 10,588 km² and has the status of the largest in the world.
Video: Uyuni salt marsh
Contents- Highlights
- Origins of Uyuni salt marsh
- Climatic features
Industrial importance of the salt marsh - What to see at Uyuni Salt Marsh
- Tourist tips
- How to get there
Highlights
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The people of Bolivia have a beautiful legend about the birth of the Uyuni salt marsh. It is framed by the Cusu, Cusina, and Tunupa mountain ranges. The Aymara Indians believe that these mountains were formerly man-giant mountains. Tunupa was Kusku’s wife and bore him a son. However, the beautiful Cuzina separated the couple, and Cusku went to live with her, taking the infant with him. Tunupa was very worried about what had happened and cried. Her tears mixed with breast milk and gave birth to a huge salt marsh. The locals have called it Tunupa ever since.
.Origins of the Uyuni salt marsh
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Industrial significance of the solonchak
The Uyuni salt marsh plays a major role in Bolivia’s economy. It is used for the extraction of rock salt. Annually 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 inhabitants have long been salt miners, and most of the village’s houses are built from blocks of rock salt.
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The first salt hotels appeared in the 1990s in the heart of the salt marsh, and they became very popular with tourists. However, due to lack of sanitation, these hotels were highly polluting and the local authorities decided to dismantle them. The hotels were erected anew on the outskirts of the Uyuni salt marsh. They now operate in compliance with all sanitary rules and environmental standards.
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What to see at the Uyuni salt marsh
In November, when the rainy season arrives, more than 90 species of birds come here to breed, including three species of flamingos. They feed on algae and crustaceans, making the feathers of the graceful birds bright pink. The salt marsh is also home to several rare species of hummingbirds.
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The area surrounding the Uyuni salt marsh is home to rabbit-like rodents called viskashi, foxes, and alpacas. The soft and extremely warm wool of alpacas is similar in properties to sheep’s wool, but much lighter. It has long been used by locals to make blankets, plaids and clothing items.
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Another 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 stones-islands. 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 laid out of blocks of rock salt. On it, travelers leave the flags of their countries.
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In 3 km from the town of Uyuni, near the line of single-track railroad 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 copies of corroded railroad equipment, which were used until the middle of the last century. The steam locomotives were abandoned after the production in the local mines was drastically reduced. Of particular interest are the articulated steam locomotives of the Meyer and Garratt systems.
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Video: Reflections from Uyuni
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen>Travel Tips
The salt reflects the sunlight beautifully. It glitters so much that it cuts your eyes, so it’s hard to do without sunglasses and headgear in the Uyuni salt marsh. Connoisseurs advise to be sure to use sunscreen, because you can get badly burned in 1-2 hours.
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In addition, it should be understood that the solonchak is located in the highlands, and some tourists at the beginning of the trip may have signs of mountain sickness – lethargy, apathy, dizziness, nausea and sleep disturbances. Time should pass for normalization of well-being. A local remedy for acclimatization is a tea made from coca leaves.
The cheapest salt marsh tours are sold in the town of Uyuni or online. They are usually two days and two nights so that tourists can see the main local sights. Many people travel to the Uyuni salt marsh on their own in rented vehicles.
.How to get there
The Uyuni salt marsh is located 500 meters south of the city of La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. The nearest population center is the small town of Uyuni.
.Since 2011, an international airport (El Aeropuerto Joya Andina) has been opened near 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.
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Alternatively, you can arrive at the Uyuni salt marsh by ground transportation – rented car or bus. Tourist buses run from La Paz and other major cities. The length of the road from the capital through the city of Oruro is 569 kilometers. Tourists leave La Paz at 21.00 and arrive in Uyuni in the morning, respectively, they are on the road for 10 to 15 hours.
.There is another route option: you can arrive from La Paz to Oruro by bus in 4 hours and then take a local train to Uyuni.
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