The Otherworldly Uyuni

Bolivia’s Uyuni Salt Flats are an amazing wonder of the world and a photographer’s dream! In addition to surreal scenery at any time of day or night, they also offer unparalleled solitude, exotic wildlife, and authentic cultural encounters infused with intriguing human history. We spent several nights based in a tiny Indigenous village at the foot of a sacred volcano on the northern edge of the salt flats, and each day’s explorations brought new surprises. Read on to see photos from our adventure and to learn more about this extraordinary place!

The Uyuni Salt Flats are the world’s largest salt flats, covering 3,900 square miles, with an average elevation variation of less than one meter across the entire Salar. The salt flats formed from prehistoric lakes that evaporated over time, and the resultant salt crust (which ranges from several centimeters thick to 10m thick in the center) covers a pool of lithium-rich brine underneath. The circulation of this saltwater underneath the crust results in hexagonal patterns on the surface, a common feature found throughout salt flats worldwide. The Uyuni is so vast that it’s visible from space, and it is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt.

We were lucky to visit the salt flats at the start of the rainy season (December to April), and we got to experience the infamous mirror effect, where rainwater pools up on the salt and creates the world’s largest mirror. Morning and evening light create vivid reflections and stunning photo opportunities. Enjoying a sunset happy hour out on the flats (in the comfort of rubber boots!) was a highlight of our stay. It totally felt like heaven on Earth!

The flat, featureless expanses of the Uyuni Salt Flats allow photographers to play with perspective and depth of field. Our fantastic local guide and driver both helped us set up some pretty hilarious shots, and we spent several hours giggling and goofing off with our cameras out in the middle of the flats. The key to getting good perspective shots is to get the camera on the ground and close to the larger object while making sure the distant subject doesn’t get too far away.

Nearly 60% of Bolivia’s population identifies as Indigenous, and the Uyuni offered excellent cultural encounters and lessons on human history. The Aymara people have lived around the flats for millennia, extracting salt, raising llamas, and growing quinoa. The salt flats have historically served as a trade route connecting the Andes to the rest of South America, and we enjoyed a stop at Isla Incahuasi, a cactus-studded island in the middle of the flats that served as a temporary refuge for Incan traders. These traders would travel a multi-month journey from the interior to the sea and back. Other highlights included visiting ancient ruins, an eclectic local museum, and an outdoor sculpture park framed by the imposing Volcan Tunupa.

Volcan Tunupa, a 17,457’ high dormant volcano, towers over the northern end of the Uyuni Salt Flats and has great spiritual and cultural significance to the local Aymara people. In Aymara legends, Tunupa is a sacred goddess whose tears are said to have created the Uyuni Salt Flats, and caves on the volcano still contain pre-Incan mummies laid to rest on hallowed grounds. High-altitude hikes on the flanks of Tunupa reveal stunning landscapes and a whole different view of the salt flats below, while casual strolls along the edge of the Salar provide excellent opportunities to see vicunas, llamas, flamingoes, Andean geese, and other wetland birds.

One of the most surprising aspects of our Uyuni adventure was that it felt like we had the place entirely to ourselves, and this is because we avoided the over-touristed hub of Uyuni. We stayed at the ultra-exclusive Explora Uyuni Lodge in Jirira, and this positioned us far away from the noise, crowds, and chaos of the town of Uyuni. Our remote and luxurious lodge was situated atop a wind-whipped, cactus-studded prominence overlooking the salt flats, and lodge staff from the surrounding Indigenous communities ensured that we were comfortable and well-fed. The minimalist design of the lodge and rooms brought the outside in, and you could lie in bed or flop on a couch in the common area and still feel like you were outside in the surreal surroundings of the salt flats.

The Uyuni Salt Flats are approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, so you will want to plan a thoughtful itinerary that allows for proper acclimatization. The Salt Flats can be visited year-round, but the best months for experiencing the mirror effect are December through April (although be aware you may not be able to drive across the salt flats if there is too much water – bring some flexibility with you). The best way to immerse yourself in this region is to do the full Atacama to Uyuni Travesia, as this itinerary allows for proper acclimatization and in-depth explorations of the stunningly beautiful altiplano and Atacama desert ecosystems nearby.

When you are ready to plan your own customized adventure to the Uyuni and beyond, get in touch with us to help make your dream trip a reality!

Your Wild Adventure Aficionado,

Alexis Alloway