Train Cemetery

About this place

Rows of rusting steam locomotives and carriages abandoned on the flat desert outside Uyuni, relics of an era when the town was an important railway hub carrying minerals from the mines to Pacific ports in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As mining declined in the mid-twentieth century the locomotives were left here, eaten by rust and salty wind, and became brown and orange iron hulks with huge wheels, chimneys and boilers, standing out under the vast blue sky, decorated with drawings and words by visitors and artists. Visitors wander among the engines and climb some for photos, and it is usually the first stop on salt-flat tours. The site is open, with no fence or tickets. Mind sharp iron edges and rusty parts when climbing; the wind is strong and the sun scorching. 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.