Salar de Uyuni Salt Flat

About this place

The largest salt flat in the world, spreading over more than ten thousand square kilometres at about 3,656 metres, formed as ancient lakes dried up and left a white salt crust metres thick, so astonishingly flat that its height varies by less than a metre across its whole expanse. In the dry season the white crust cracks into regular hexagons stretching to the horizon, and visitors play with perspective for fun photos where people and objects seem oddly sized. In the rainy season, roughly January to March, a thin layer of water turns it into the world's largest mirror, reflecting sky and clouds until the horizon disappears. 4x4 tours leave from Uyuni town, stopping at salt piles raked by workers, the Dakar monument, hotels built of salt blocks and Isla Incahuasi with its giant cacti, and many finish with sunset or sunrise on the salt. The glare off the salt is intense: bring sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, plus warm clothes, as it cools quickly. 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.