Uyuni salt flats (4WUYUNI)

The largest salt concentration in the world, originally called Tunupa salt flats by locals before the foundation of Uyuni Town in 1889, the Uyuni salt flats is a nature wonder. This huge 150 km width concentration of salt is one of the most impressive landscapes in the world. Located at an altitude of 3,653m (11,981ft) and with very low rain precipitation (100 to 325 mm per year), this is one of the driest areas in the Bolivian territory, a very delicate and unique ecosystem.

Although this is a high altitude desert that receives little precipitation, every rainy season - especially during the really wet years of “La Niña” -, the lake gets flooded with water flowing from the surrounding mountains. When this happened, the lake turn into a huge mirror that reflects and duplicates all the landscape, one of the most astonishing wonders of the nature. Unfortunately crossing the lake when flooded can be dangerous and sometimes impossible, which is why we slightly change the route when this happed.

This program have been developed to visit the Uyuni salt flats starting from La Paz and in the shortest time possible; spending two long driving days to get in and out but exploring calmly the lake and its surroundings in two full days. We spend one of the nights at “Luna Salada” (salty moon), the best accommodation in the region where all walls and pillars are completely built with salt bricks, the whole floor is covered with granulated salt and even the tables and chairs are made with salt. The other night will be spend in a charming hostel.