Uyuni
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Uyuni, the frontier-style town found in the southwestern corner of Bolivia, is most famous for being the gateway to one of the country's most famous attractions, the epic Salar de Uyuni. These vasts salt flats are the largest in the world and an absolute must-visit for anyone exploring Bolivia. However, prior to venturing into the land of endless horizons, you will likely need to spend some time in Uyuni, a town famous for its colonial industry-led history, dense street markets and hauntingly beautiful train cemetery.
While it is now famous for acting as the entry point to the world renowned salt flats, Uyuni's history is rooted in its role as a a vital industrial frontier. The town itself was officially founded in 1889, at a staggering 3,700 metres above sea level, after British engineers helped build the country's first railway lines and steam engines. The mountainous areas around Uyuni had recently revealed a wealth of desirable minerals such as silver, tin and gold and so began a mining drive within the region. The workers needed a way of moving these minerals to the coastal Pacific port of Antofagasta and so a lengthy rail network was conceived. The railway and mining boom led to Uyuni becoming a very diverse town; with merchants, rail managers and workers flocking to the town for work. By the 1940s, a combination of the nearby mines beginning to run dry and a global shift from steam to diesel power meant miners and business departed the town. The British locomotives, now obsolete, were left to rust and the town begin to fall into disrepair.
The late 20th century saw Uyuni reinvent itself as the entry point to the epic salt flats as Bolivia promoted itself as a tourist-friendly destination. The town also gained international fame as a key stage for the Dakar Rally, an epic motorcar race. While tourism is the towns primary driver today, the region has recently been revealed to have massive reserves of lithium buried under the salt. What to do with these reserves is currently a very contentious issue in Bolivia but they potentially represent the next chapter for a town that has been through vast changes in its relatively short history.
Things To Do
1. Salar de Uyuni
If you are making your way to Uyuni then no doubt the famous salt flats are at the top of your list of things to do. Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat, spanning a distance of 10,582km², and was formed by prehistoric lakes that evaporated thousands of years ago. Left behind is a thick crust of white salt that stretches out across the horizon. The flats are vast in area but they are also one of the flattest regions on Earth, with its height actually only varying by 1 metre across the entire 10,000 square kilometre expanse. Its extreme size and exceptional flatness mean that NASA, along with other agencies, use the salt flats to calibrate their satellites.
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Visiting the salt flats is fairly easy from the town of Uyuni. There are multiple tour agencies that run excursions, all of which vary in terms of length of time but most visitors opt for a 2-4 day tour. These tours will take you to all of the various sights (there is so much more to this region then just the salt) and then will either bring you back to Uyuni or across the Chilean border to San Pedro de Atacama depending on what option you book. Accommodation is usually simplistic, small lodgings hosted by local families within the salt flat region, and you almost always will find yourself in a 4x4 vehicle which is required to navigate the landscape.
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Most tours will often start with the vast salt plains themselves. Here, in the dry season, you will have the opportunity to walk amongst the interlocking hexagons of salt that form a patchwork effect on the surface. It is also a perfect opportunity to attempt some illusion photography. The featureless white salt removes any depth cues meaning you can very easily make small objects look giant. In the rainy season a thin layer of water transforms the flats into a gigantic mirror, with endless reflections of the sky and clouds cast in the surface below. Just be aware that if travelling during the rainy season that there is no guarantee of the mirror-effect f rains have been particularly light and, on the opposite hand, if precipitation has been particularly heavy you might not be able to venture as far into the flats as you might want.
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Other sights that you are guaranteed to see in the dry season include the iconic Incahuasi Island, a rocky outcrop in the middle of the salt flats thats is covered in giant cacti (some reaching 32 feet tall). You will also get to venture to the famous Laguna Colorada, a red-coloured lagoon that is home to populations of rare flamingos. Alongside that there will be unexpected wildlife encounters, active volcanoes, a visit to the now rarely-used railway line and dips into the thermal hot-springs.
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We travelled to Salar de Uyuni with Andes Salt Expeditions on a group tour that lasted 3 days (2 nights) and resulted in us crossing over into Chile at the end. Andes Salt Expeditions are a company that we would highly recommend - our driver guide was absolutely fantastic, the accommodation options were welcoming and we seemed to see loads more than most of the other tour groups travelling at the same time as us.
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Opening Times:
ALL YEAR ROUND
Dry Season (May-Nov), Rainy Season (Dec-Apr)
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Cost:
1-Day Tours around $50-120 USD per person (£40-90pp)
3-Day Tours around $200-350 USD per person (£150-260pp)
*cost varies by company. Private tours are significantly more expensive
2. Cementerio de Trenes
Whilst most people travel to Uyuni solely to visit the salt flats there are a few things closer to town to keep you occupied. This one, the Cementerio de Trenes, is one that you can travel to yourselves but is also one that is usually the initial stop on any Salar de Uyuni Tour. If you wish to visit solo you can take a 10 minute taxi ride from town or venture on a 30 minute (one-way) walk.
This open-air museum is home to dozens of of abandoned steam locomotives and rail cars that are now left to slowly rust away in the piercing desert sunshine. In the late 19th century, Uyuni was a major distribution hub for trains carrying minerals like silver, tin and gold from the Andes to Pacific ports. A huge number is steam trains were imported, mostly from Britain and served as the main carriers of these precious minerals. Unfortunately the Uyuni mining industry collapsed in the 1940s due to resource depletion. The trains became useless but the cost of decommissioning them was so high that local officials decided to leave them in this ‘graveyard’, just outside of the town. Corrosive, salt-laden winds from the nearby salt flats have since accelerated their decay and shaped them into the skeletal remains that can be seen today.
The ruined train remains are now available for visitors to freely climb inside and on top of. Some have been shaped into works of functional art and most are now covered in elaborate graffiti. This place is an absolute playground for photographers, with a variety of train cars to take photos of and the possibility. of entering at sunset or sunrise (the cemetery is open 24 hours a day).
Opening Times:
MON-SUN (24 hours)
Cost:
FREE
Where To Stay
Uyuni is a fairly small town in comparison to some of the other major destinations in Bolivia and so choosing exactly where to stay is relatively straightforward. Most likely you are only going to be spending one night here before and/or after your Salar de Uyuni Tour so I would recommend selecting a hotel near to the train/bus station and the main street (Avenue Ferroviaria) which runs perpendicular to the railway line.
There are two reasons for this, with the first being that the Uyuni bus or train station is likely where you be arriving in town. The railway network is one option for travelling to town, with regular services connecting the city of Oruro with Uyuni. Most likely you will be arriving by bus and the terminus is just three streets over from the train station, so if you have taken any coach transport to Uyuni, you will also end up in this area. Staying close to these transport centres means you can walk to accommodation, avoiding additional time hassles and additional fees (taxis are not always regularly waiting at the bus/train stations).
Secondly, picking somewhere near Avenue Ferroviaria is likely to put you within walking distance of your tour agency. Most of the reputable tour companies are seemingly based along this road and by choosing to stay nearby you can walk to the offices to purchase tickets and at the start of your tour. This is important because most agencies do not offer hotel pick-up or, if they do, they charge an additional cost. My recommendation would be to find a hotel near to the transport hub that you are arriving at and near to the tour agency office that you select.
We stayed for one night prior to our tour starting (we did not return to Uyuni afterwards as we crossed the border into Chile). We opted for Tonito Hotel, almost solely for location. It was within walking distance of both the bus terminal and of the Andes Salt Expeditions office. The rooms were definitely on the simpler side but the hotel had solid wifi and an excellent breakfast buffet which set us up for our 3-day salt flats tour.
Location Tips to Consider
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Find a hotel close to either the bus/train station (depending on which method you choose to arrive by).
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Opt for one that is within walking distance of the office for the tour agency that you select.
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Ideally, find a tour agency who's base is near to the bus/train terminal and stay nearby - you will be able to easily walk to both.
Where To Eat
Uyuni is a small town but it has plenty of culinary options to go alongside its wealth of accommodations. You will likely be on the lookout for at least one meal within town and there are a number of really good eateries here, with a surprising selection of food on offer.
BEST FOR A MEAL
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Hot Grill
This restaurant was the one we went to for the one night we were in Uyuni. It is a small family run business that offers a range of grilled meat skewers (known locally as anticuchos). There are a range of different meats on offer; including chicken, beef and pork with side dishes of rice, potatoes or salad. It is simple food but so tasty and ridiculously good value for menu.
Opening Times: MON-SAT (6pm-10pm)
Cost: £2.50pp (1 anticucho, side dish, plus non-alcoholic drink)
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Minuteman Pizza
This restaurant is actually located within the Tonito Hotel. As the name suggests, this place is a pizzeria that offers excellent, stone-fired pizzas with a wide variety of toppings. We did not actually get to visit here as it was closed on the day that we stayed but it has superb reviews and we heard very good things.
Opening Times: TUES-SAT (7pm-10pm)
Cost: £8 (small pizza plus non-alcoholic drink), £16 (large pizza plus two non-alcoholic drinks)
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Best Time to Visit
The cost of a visit to Uyuni does vary slightly with regards to time of the year but it should not really be a major consideration. Even at peak times of the year (January-March for the 'mirror effect' and July-August for dry season), the prices of group tours into Salar de Uyuni are very reasonable. Tours will definitely be more costly at this time of year and you can expect a higher number of fellow tourists. Given that Uyuni itself is a very small town, the price of accommodation also goes up during this time. You definitely will not get great value for money on Uyuni accommodations but, given that you have almost no other option to base yourself, that is why we recommend only spending one night here at a maximum. One other thing to note is that the peak wet season (January-March) might give you the best chance at seeing the Instagram-famous 'mirror' but heavy rains can lead to much of the area becoming inaccessible. You therefore might only be able to secure a shorter tour and it can, at times, feel particularly crowded as photography enthusiasts flock to the flats.
In terms of cost, the best time of year to visit is in the shoulder seasons (April-June & September-December). These will see tour operators and hotels offer the best deals due to a lower overall demand.
The main consideration when planning a trip to Uyuni is the weather. Uyuni is situated at a very high altitude and so the air will always feel cooler here despite some of the region looking like blistering desert. You also need to consider whether you want to travel to see the 'mirror effect' (aim for wet season) or whether you want to guarantee full exploration of the entire area (aim for peak dry season).
The dry season begins properly in May. June-August see almost no rain and the skies will likely be free of cloud making this a perfect time for stargazing. Temperatures will be at the coolest though, with maximums of 12-15°C. The dry season might see clear skies but temperatures at night will almost definitely fall below freezing so make sure you pack accordingly. September sees the start of the rainy season but, for this first month at least, you are unlikely to get much precipitation. The region averages just two days of rainfall during this month and most of it falls in unpredictable, short showers. October is fairly similar, just with a few extra days of rain but temperatures begin to reach their highest of the year with maximums of 18-20°C. November can see clouds start to form more frequently and the rain might start to intensify. December is the real start of the wet period, with almost half of the month seeing some form of rainfall. January-February are when the region receives its most precipitation but, again, most of this falls as sharp showers and you will still likely see plenty of hours of sunshine with temperatures still maintaining highs of 18-20°C. March sees the rains begin to dissipate slowly and April is often the changeover month between the wet and dry seasons; temperatures begin to cool again (highs of 15-16°C) but clouds begin to clear and longer hours of sunshine return.
We traveled to Uyuni at the end of October, continuing our trend of visit places during their shoulder months, yet still had great weather. We did not experience any rain despite this technically being a shoulder month. Since the dry season had been before, the entire region was accessible and we were able to visit all the sights on our epic 3-day tour. Temperatures were still very cool overnight and in the mornings but during the days we experienced endless sunshine and some warmth. Obviously, given the time of year we travelled, we did not get to experience the famous mirror effect but the whole region did seem to be fairly quiet in terms of tourist numbers which was a massive positive. There were loads of times whilst traversing Salar de Uyuni that we were the only jeep in sight and it really did feel like we had picked a perfect time to visit.
Currency
Uyuni used to only have one, extremely unreliable ATM but nowadays the frontier town is home to a number of national banks, a Western Union and multiple currency exchanges so getting cash is relatively straightforward. This is a good thing because you will need cash!
As with the rest of the country the official currency here is the Bolivianos (BOB) and you will need some of this to pay for local restaurants or convenience stores. Most of the tour agencies also appeared to favour cash over card payments but they were willing to take US dollars as well at bolivianos. Although there are a few ATMs around nowadays to withdraw money I would highly recommend sorting your cash situation prior to arriving - Uyuni is a very remote town and if there are any issues with banks (closures, ATM supply shortages etc) this will not be resolved quickly. I would suggest having some BOB for smaller, local purchases and some USD for your tour and/or for exchanging afterwards - especially useful if you plan on crossing into Chile like we did.
You also will need some small change for use whilst travelling on your tour through Salar de Uyuni and, once you have left town, there will be nowhere to get any more cash until you are finished.
Language
As is the case throughout the rest of Bolivia, the primary language spoken in Uyuni is Spanish. It is what you will hear most of the locals speaking and is what is used in smaller restaurants and stores. Given Uyuni’s presence as a tourist destination though you will find English spoken in almost all of the hotels, larger restaurants and tour agencies. Most of the tours are offered in English but there are a few options for other European languages, Chinese and Japanese.
Whilst this was one of the easier Bolivian destinations visit as a non-Spanish speaker, as with everywhere we travelled, locals really appreciated our Spanish speaking attempts so try to learn some conversational phrases at a minimum.
Safety
Uyuni is a very remote town, it is dusty and it does not retain a great deal of charm but, despite that, it is a considerable safe destination. It is a place that is used to a substantial number of tourists and, given that it relies almost solely upon that industry for a living, they want to ensure that everyone has a nice, safe time whilst visiting. The streets might not look that appealing on the outside but we had absolutely no issues with walking around town, going into local markets and eating at smaller restaurants.
We obviously confined ourselves to the area around the main avenue and the bus/train terminal only so cannot personally comment on safety standards outside of this particular area.
Public Transport
As mentioned above, Uyuni is highly walkable and it appeared that that was the preferred method of getting around the city for most people, including locals. The whole town is relatively compact and laid out in a grid-like system; you could feasible walk from one side of town to the other in 20-30 minutes maximum. If there is a local bus network then we could not find any information about it online but, if you require a non-walking method for getting around town, then there are local taxis available.
These are not particularly expensive to hire but they are sometimes a bit difficult to find. It appears that there are not that many private taxi drivers in Uyuni, so do not be expecting to hail a ride from the street. You will likely need to ask your tour agency or hotel if you wish to book a taxi. Uber and similar ride-hailing services do not operate in Uyuni.
How To Get There
Uyuni is located in the southwestern area of Bolivia, fairly far away from other areas of civilisation, but its significance as a tourist destination means that it is actually easier to get to then you might first think.
The most common method for travelling to Uyuni is to take a bus. Uyuni’s main bus station is located just off the main avenue, close to a number of hotels and the main tour agency offices. The quickest route is the one from Potosi (3-4hrs) with options running daily. You can also arrive from Sucre (7-8hrs) but this route will often pass through Potosi anyways. It is feasible to get a long distance bus from La Paz (10hrs) or Santa Cruz de la Sierra (18hrs) but these are both fairly hefty journies that will often take place overnight.
We actually took a short bus ride from Potosi. The bus we got on was one of the nicest that we used in Bolivia and we particularly enjoyed that we could book online before departing, through the online platform Tickets Bolivia. Just a note that Potosi has a couple of bus stations and so you need to be aware of which one to go to if coming to Uyuni.
If a lengthy overnight bus does not take your fancy you can opt for a shorter flight. Uyuni does actually have a small airport but it is currently only serviced by daily domestic flights leaving La Paz. There used to also be flights from Santa Cruz but these do not appear to be running anymore. The flight option is a more expensive one but it will get you to Uyuni relatively quickly (flight time 1hr). Another option, which is supposedly considered the most scenic route, is to take a train to Uyuni. This does require some coordination as the rail network does not run directly from any of the major Bolivian cities. Instead you will have to make your way to Oruro, Villazon or Tupiza. Train tickets can be purchased online and there are a variety of 'class' options for sale.
Where To Next?
As mentioned before I would recommend only staying one night in Uyuni prior to your Salar de Uyuni tour. Afterwards you will either find yourself back in Uyuni (and maybe needing another night of accommodation before onward travel) or, like we did, you will be crossing the border into Chile. If you plan on doing a Bolivia only trip then the first option makes the most sense but, if like us, you are on a larger South American country then crossing into Chile here gives an easy way to enter a new country:
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San Pedro de Atacama,
CHILE
If you are opting to follow our itinerary you will have embarked on a 3-day tour of Salar de Uyuni and, on the final day, will have crossed the border into Chile arriving at the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama. Tour companies will take care of all the logistics, including transport once you have crossed the border, and so this option is a really straightforward one if you do not wish to loop back on yourselves.
San Pedro de Atacama itself is a small desert town in northern Chile's Antofagasta Region, situated at an altitude of 2,439 metres. It serves as the primary base for exploring the Atacama Desert and is known as one of the best places in the world for stargazing. It is a fairly busy town in terms of tourists, with people arriving from Uyuni, others embarking on tours in the opposite direction and others who have come to explore the Chilean north.
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Potosi,
BOLIVIA
If you are travelling in reverse to what we did then a logical next step would be to take the short bus journey to Potosi. This trip will only take 3-4hrs with buses leaving Uyuni daily. The city of Potosi sits at a dizzying elevation of 4,090 metres above sea level but it has a rich history. It is home to Cerro Rico, the mountain that once contained the worlds largest silver deposit, and the Casa Nacional de la Moneda, a building that operated as the main Spanish colonial mint.
It is a fantastic place to then move further into Bolivia from as it is well connected to the arid southeastern region and the more prosperous areas further north. There are direct buses from Potosi to Sucre.
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Sucre,
BOLIVIA
If you do not want to viisit Potosi then the next best destination for you might be the city of Sucre. Accessible by a direct bus from Uyuni (7-8hrs) this UNESCO World Heritage city, renowned for its pristine white-washed architecture, provides a temperate escape where you can explore the world's largest collection of dinosaur tracks or take in panoramic views from the city’s elegant rooftops. It was also our favourite Bolivia city to visit so is one we would highly recommend.
From the town of Sucre you will have a number of options with regards to where to go next. You could head northeast to the Bolivian Andes or further north still to the city of La Paz.
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La Paz,
BOLIVIA
One of the most popular Bolivian destinations, but one that we did not actually visit, is La Paz. It is not necessarily a geographically suitable next terminus from Uyuni given its vast distance but it is possible to travel between the two cities. It is an attractive option for tourists with its high altitude, local traditions and the worlds largest urban cable car network.
One option for getting there from Uyuni is to take an overnight bus, but these can take 10-12hrs. You can also take an internal domestic flight which is much more costly but will take around one hour.
