Giant cacti
Centuries of growth.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · PsamatheM — CC BY-SA 4.0 · kallerna — CC BY-SA 4.0
A rocky hill in the middle of the white sea of salt, once the top of an ancient volcano when a great lake covered the area, so fossilised coral remains on its rocks. Today it is covered in a forest of giant cacti, some several metres tall and said to be centuries old. Visitors climb a stone path circling the hill to its summit in about half an hour to an hour, among tall cacti and boulders, and from the top see the white salt flat stretching endlessly in every direction, with distant volcanoes on the horizon. At the island's foot are a small visitor centre and a restaurant, and most salt-flat tours stop here for lunch. It is beautiful at sunrise, when the cacti glow in the first light. The path climbs at about 3,700 metres, so walk slowly and bring water and sunglasses. 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.
Centuries of growth.
A sea of salt.
An ancient lake.
Centre of the Uyuni salt flat, about 80 km from Uyuni town
Usually not, so bring BOB 30 in cash to pay at the booth at the island's foot.