Salt piles
White cones.
Herr stahlhoefer — Public domain · Herr stahlhoefer — Public domain · Alfredobi — CC BY-SA 3.0
A small village on the edge of the salt flat whose people have lived for generations by extracting and processing salt, the traditional gateway to the Salar de Uyuni, where tours usually stop before entering the vast whiteness. In the village's simple workshops visitors see raw salt dried, ground, iodised and bagged, and big blocks cut to build houses, walls and even furniture. The village has a small museum, buildings of salt blocks and craft stalls selling woollen textiles and salt carvings. On the village edge, workers rake salt into rows of white cones across the flat, left to dry in the sun, one of Uyuni's best-known sights. The village is modest and lives on salt and tourism, so buying from its craftspeople supports them directly. The sun and glare are very strong. Bolivia is under a state of emergency with protests and road blockades, so check road conditions and your government's travel advice before the trip.
White cones.
Cut blocks.
Wool and salt.
On the edge of the Uyuni salt flat, about 20 km north of Uyuni town
Salt-processing workshops, salt piles on the flat, houses and a museum of salt blocks, and local craft stalls.