Uyuni

Uyuni, a small Bolivian town perched on the edge of the world's largest salt flat, is the launchpad for one of South America's most surreal landscapes. The Salar de Uyuni stretches over 10,000 square kilometres, a blinding white expanse of salt crust that transforms into a giant mirror during the rainy season. This is a place where perspective plays tricks and the horizon dissolves into sky.

Highlights & What to See

• Salar de Uyuni: The star attraction – walk on the hexagonal salt patterns, visit the cactus-covered Incahuasi Island, and watch the sunset paint the flats in shades of pink and orange.
• Train Cemetery: A rusting graveyard of locomotives from the early 20th century, a photographer's dream with hulking metal beasts half-buried in the sand.
• Colchani: A nearby village where you can see traditional salt processing and buy llama wool souvenirs.
• Laguna Colorada: A blood-red lagoon teeming with flamingos, located in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve – often included in multi-day tours.
• Sol de Mañana Geysers: Bubbling mud pots and fumaroles at 4,800 metres, a dramatic display of the Earth's geothermal activity.

Suggested Time to Spend

Most visitors spend three days on a standard tour that loops from Uyuni through the salt flats and into the altiplano deserts, finishing in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. If you're short on time, a one-day tour covers the salt flat highlights, but you'll miss the lagoons and geysers. Budget at least a full day in Uyuni town to acclimatise to the altitude (3,700 m).

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• San Pedro de Atacama, Chile: The classic route – cross the border after a three-day tour and explore Chile's desert oasis.
• Potosí: A colonial silver-mining city with a rich history, about 3 hours north of Uyuni.
• Sucre: Bolivia's whitewashed constitutional capital, a 6-hour bus ride from Uyuni.
• Tupiza: A scenic town with red rock canyons, starting point for the alternative 'Salar Circuit' south-west.

Please check official sources for current details.