If you’ve been looking back at photos from the last five years or updating your bucket list for the next five, let us introduce you to a natural marvel that is visible from space! Let’s go on a journey to experience Salar de Uyuni.
Salar de Uyuni 101
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Salar de Uyuni was born from a chain of prehistoric lakes that slowly evaporated, leaving behind their essence: the shimmering salt flats that now form the largest in the world.
When nearby lakes overflow, a thin layer of water settles across its surface, transforming the flats into the planet’s largest natural mirror, a breathtaking sky reflection worth travelling miles to witness.
This mirror effect appears only during the Southern Hemisphere’s rainy season, from January to April, when conditions are just right.
Salar de Uyuni is so vast and bright that it’s visible from space, and beneath its surface lie lithium-rich brines that are extracted for use in making batteries.
How to reach there
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The easiest way to get to the salt flats is to fly into Bolivia, typically La Paz (LPB) or Santa Cruz (VVI), and then take a short domestic flight to Uyuni.
Where to stay
Hotel Palacio de Sal
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While there are many hotels to choose from, spending a night or even a weekend at the iconic Palacio de Sal or the Salt Palace takes the Salar de Uyuni experience to another level.
Wake up to a sunrise that washes the flats in soft, shifting hues as the Salar de Uyuni reflects the first light of day. And when night falls, you’ll find yourself deciding whether the stars shine brighter above you or beneath your feet, as the Southern Cross, Scorpius, Orion, and Canis Major appear twice, once in the sky and once in the mirror.
Other places nearby to stay
Uyuni Town
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Perched high on the Altiplano, Uyuni town is the main gateway to the salt flats and offers the widest range of hotels, hostels, tour agencies, and essential traveller services.
Colchani Village
Just 20 km away, Colchani sits right on the edge of the Salar and is home to atmospheric salt hotels built from local salt blocks, perfect if you want to stay as close as possible to the mirror-like expanse.
Other natural wonders to explore in Bolivia
Laguna Colorada (Red Lake)
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Tucked high in the Bolivian Altiplano, Laguna Colorada is a shallow, crimson-tinged lake whose striking red hues come from algae and mineral sediments shimmering beneath the sun. White borax islands punctuate the lake like scattered pearls, while flocks of rare James’s flamingos wade across the surface like soft pink clouds.
Visit between January and April, and you’ll witness the lake at its most dramatic state with its shifting colors that seem to sway with the wind, the light, and the rhythm of the high Andean sky.
Cementerio de Trenes (train graveyard)
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A stone’s throw away from the remains of a prehistoric river, live the hauntings of a once lively train station. Feel yourself teleported to another century as you amble about the open-air museum where iron giants rest under the vast Altiplano sky, slowly melding with the landscape.
The Train Graveyard feels like a surreal open-air museum where iron giants rest under the vast Altiplano sky. It is a photographer’s playground where you can scramble over the engines and live out your adventurer fantasies.
Polques Hot Springs
Deep in the wilds of southern Bolivia, the Polques Hot Springs offer a chance to sink into naturally heated geothermal pools surrounded by volcanic peaks.
The warm mineral-rich steaming in the cold mountain air makes for an unforgettable soak after days of exploring windswept deserts and mirror-bright salt flats.
In the early morning hours, mist rises around you as the sky turns from deep blue to gold, creating one of the most peaceful moments the Andes can offer.
Valle de Rocas & Eduardo Avaroa Andean Wildlife Reserve
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Within the vast Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve lies the otherworldly Valle de Rocas, a landscape sculpted by ancient volcanic eruptions and relentless Andean winds.
Towering stone formations, including the famous Stone Tree, rise like natural monuments across the valley.
Between January and April, the reserve allows you to explore rugged canyons, colourful lagoons, and geothermal plains while spotting llamas, vicuñas, foxes, and flamingos moving freely through their protected habitat.
Though our flight of fancy comes to an end here, are you ready to grab your passport, sunscreen, and your bags to leave for a winter getaway to Bolivia and experience the magic of nature this new year?
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This article was first published in Wego.
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