Dalí Desert

About this place

A broad desert of fine sand in beige, brown and pink, with lone rocks scattered across the empty plain and coloured mountains around it, as if lifted from the paintings of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí, hence its name, though he never visited. The scene is silent and strange: bands of colour on the slopes, long rock shadows on the sand and a deep blue sky over an open horizon, at about 4,700 metres, with almost no plants or sign of life. Uyuni tours usually pass through on the last day on the way to Laguna Verde, stopping briefly for photos from a distance, as walking on the sand among the rocks is forbidden to protect the site. The light is best early in the morning, when shadows are long and colours deeper. It is seen on 4x4 tours from Uyuni, most often the three-day tour, so choose a company with careful drivers and sound vehicles. The altitude is over 4,000 metres and nights are bitterly cold, often below minus ten, so bring winter clothes and a warm sleeping bag.