All miners working in the Salar belong to Colchani's cooperative. Buses typically take about 8-12 hours, while the plane will only take an hour. [2] In the low-rain period from April to November, due to the absence of industry and its high elevation, the skies above Salar de Uyuni are very clear, and the air is dry (relative humidity is about 30%; rainfall is roughly 1 millimetre or 0.039 inches per month). In fact, for many travelers, the Salt Flat is the sole reason to visit Bolivia. [2] It is in the Daniel Campos Province in Potosí in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above sea level. [9], The Salar contains a large amount of sodium, potassium, lithium and magnesium (all in the chloride forms of NaCl, KCl, LiCl and MgCl2, respectively), as well as borax. Locals believed that the money infused by mining would not reach them. The plateau includes fresh and saltwater lakes as well as salt flats and is surrounded by mountains with no drainage outlets. The 2006 analysis revealed previously missed features: ridges between 20 and 30 centimetres in height that are roughly sinusoidal with a wavelength of 5km (clearly visible in 1973 and 1975 LandSat images, and still in the same places decades later), and a moat around the periphery that is 1–3km wide and 20 to 50 cm deep. The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering an area twice the size of Delaware. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw the reflective illusion. This is our 3 day "sunset" salt flats tour option including English-speaking guide operated by Perla de Bolivia. Salar de Uyuni is part of the Altiplano of Bolivia in South America. Visiting the Salar de Uyuni is definitely of the top things to do in Bolivia. Give yourself a few days to acclimatize, stay well hydrated, and follow the locals suggestion and drink coca tea. I'll never forget this place! The structure was created as a result of the work of wind erosion over millions of years. [citation needed], Aymara legend tells that the mountains Tunupa, Kusku, and Kusina, which surround the Salar, were giant people. Quick Overview. However, due to environmental changes, these lakes dried up to become salt flat. One of the top bucket list locations for South America, here are some top tips to know before heading out on a jeep tour of the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. They originate from the variation in material density, and thus the gravitational force, beneath the Salar's sediments. You have to feel the salt beneath your feet and gaze hard across the horizon to get the full experience. What an incredible place. [citation needed] The brine distribution has been monitored by the Landsat satellite and confirmed in ground drilling tests. This white desert of salt stretches as far as the eye can see, and then some more. Since the river was quite wide, these spread around the surface with a surface area of eleven kilometers long and with an altitude which is more than three thousand five hundred meters above the sea level. [20], No mining plant is currently at the site, and the Bolivian government does not want to allow exploitation by foreign corporations. The biggest attraction is the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world. The beautiful Uyuni salt flats (or Salar de Uyuni) is with its 10.582 square km (4.085 square miles) the world’s largest salt flat. Salar de Uyuni is also a climatological transitional zone since the towering tropical cumulus congestus and cumulonimbus incus clouds that form in the eastern part of the salt flat during the summer cannot permeate beyond its drier western edges, near the Chilean border and the Atacama Desert. Each town is rich with history and intriguing stories. To reach the salt flat, you must first reach the city of Uyuni, where tours are launched. "Bolivia's Lithium-Powered Future: What the global battery boom means for the future of South America's poorest country", "Assessment of ICESat performance at the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", "Investigations on the effect of high surface albedo on erythemally effective UV irradiance: Results of a campaign at the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", "Characterization of the Salar de Uyuni for in-orbit satellite calibration", Kingdoms of the Sky: Salt Flat Landscape Creates the World's Largest Mirror, "Crait: The Salar de Uyuni Star Wars Planet", "Star Wars: The Last Jedi filming locations around the world", "Tropical climate changes at millennial and orbital timescales on the Bolivian Altiplano", "Bolivia holds key to electric car future", "Bolivian lithium: why you should not expect any 'white gold rush' in the wake of Morales overthrow", "Bolivia's Almost Impossible Lithium Dream", "Bolivian Hotel Truly Is the Salt of the Earth", "Photo in the News: New Salt Hotel Built in Bolivia", "The Hills And Valleys Of Earth's Largest Salt Flat", "MISR-based passive optical bathymetry from orbit with few-cm level of accuracy on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Salar_de_Uyuni&oldid=991732658, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 December 2020, at 15:13. Following those findings, an American-based international corporation has invested $137 million to developing lithium extraction. Its age was estimated by radiocarbon dating shells from outcropping sediments and carbonate reefs and varies between reported studies. [29][30], One major tourist attraction is an antique train cemetery. Info Things to Do Tours How to Get There What to Pack Photography. Tucked away in Bolivia’s southern region is the incredible salt flat of Uyuni (Salar De Uyuni). [citation needed]. The Salar de Uyuni is Bolivia's greatest attraction, and is among the most desired by Latin American travelers. During the wet season, Titicaca overflows and discharges into Poopó, which in turn, floods Salar De Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni. [16], A part of Incahuasi Island inside the Salar, featuring giant cacti, Andean flamingos in the Laguna Colorada, south of the Salar, The Salar is virtually devoid of any wildlife or vegetation. The train graveyard is always a favourite attraction among visitors. The Uyuni salt flats is the greatest attraction of Bolivia. Buses take about 8-12 hours to reach Uyuni while taking the plane will take one hour. [15], Lacustrine mud that is interbedded with salt and saturated with brine underlies the surface of Salar de Uyuni. During rainy months, it turns into the world's largest mirror. They grow at a rate of about 1 cm/a to a height of about 12 m. Other shrubs include Pilaya, which is used by locals to cure catarrh, and Thola (Baccharis dracunculifolia), which is burned as a fuel. Stretching across 10,582 square kilometres of the Altiplano, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. Bolivia Salt Flats: Revised 2018 guide to the attractions of the Salar de Uyuni area, how to plan for the perfect trip and much more! [18] However, lithium extraction in the 1980s and 1990s by foreign companies met strong opposition from the local community. As the largest salt flat on Earth, Salar de Uyuni is especially suitable for this purpose. There are proposals to build a museum from the cemetery. Tunupa married Kusku, but Kusku ran away from her with Kusina. Uyuni salt flats. This is our 3-day salt flats tour option including English-speaking guide and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama operated b y Perla de Bolivia. [17], Lithium is concentrated in the brine under the salt crust at a relatively high concentration of about 0.3%. [21][22][23], Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes (9.8 billion long tons; 11 billion short tons) of salt, of which less than 25,000 t is extracted annually. Lake Minchin (named after Juan B. Minchin of Oruro[14]) later transformed into Paleo Lake Tauca having a maximal depth of 140 meters (460 ft), and an estimated age of 13,000 to 18,000 or 14,900 to 26,100 years, depending on the source. The nights are cold all through the year, with temperatures between −9 °C and 5 °C. The Uyuni Salt Flat is the largest of its kind in the world, with over 10,000 square km of impossibly flat and white collection of prehistoric minerals. [6][7][32] Using Salar de Uyuni as the target, ICESat has already achieved the short-term elevation measurement accuracy of below 2 centimeters (0.79 in). The city of Uyuni is the gateway to the spectacular Salt Flats, to the lagoons and volcanoes of the Altiplano. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average elevation variations within one meter over the entire area of the Salar. It contains 50% to 70% of the world's known lithium reserves according to a 2009 Foreign Policy article by Joshua Keating. This operator is one of the most popular offering quality services , english speaking guides and increasing in popularity all the time - book in advance to ensure you get a place. Its otherworldly beauty and surreal nature have made it a hugely popular stop for backpackers and tourists. Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni is 3,659 meters (12,000 feet) above sea level. [10], The Salar serves as the major transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano and is a prime breeding ground for several species of flamingos. [citation needed], Because of its location, large area, and flatness, the Salar is a major car transport route across the Bolivian Altiplano,[13] except when seasonally covered with water. It was encouraged by Bolivian President Aniceto Arce, who believed Bolivia would flourish with a good transport system, but it was also constantly sabotaged by the local Aymara indigenous Indians who saw it as an intrusion into their lives. [3], The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. The plateau includes fresh and saltwater lakes as well as salt flats and is surrounded by mountains with no drainage outlets. The jaw-dropping lake has been placed alongside the salt flats as “Bolivia´s most incedible natural wonder”. Many trains were abandoned, producing the train cemetery. While covering 4,000 square miles, it’s not only the largest salt … Perla de Bolivia Salt Flats Tour Uyuni - 3 Days + Transfer to Chile. Some 30,000 to 42,000 years ago, the area was part of a giant prehistoric lake, Lake Minchin. [33], By using data from MISR to perform passive optical bathymetry when the flat is flooded and calibrating the resultant water depth model with topographical data from the laser altimeter of ICESat, it has been shown that the Salar de Uyuni is not perfectly flat. Bolivia Salt Flat. Uyuni Salt Flat, Spanish Salar de Uyuni, arid, windswept salt flat in southwestern Bolivia.It lies on the Altiplano, at 11,995 feet (3,656 metres) above sea level.The Uyuni Salt Flat is Bolivia’s largest salt-encrusted waste area (about 4,085 square miles [10,582 square km]) and is separated from the Coipasa Salt Flat, a similar but smaller feature to the north, by a range of hills. [5][6][7][8][9] Following rain, a thin layer of dead calm water transforms the flat into the world's largest mirror, 129 kilometers (80 miles) across. Like much of Bolivia, the salt flats are highly elevated, positioned at 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) above sea level. [citation needed], Salar means salt flat in Spanish. How to Reach the Bolivian Salt Flats. Sign up to get the latest news and information about Salar de Uyuni. See more ideas about Bolivia, Bolivia travel, South america travel. Just as the ocean surface rises over denser seamounts, the salt flat surface also rises and falls to reflect the subsurface density variations. B. [28] However, its location in the center of a desert caused sanitation problems, as most waste had to be collected manually. [16], The area has a relatively stable average temperature with a peak at 21 °C in November to January and a low of 13 °C in June. Bolivia's salt flats have become somewhat of an Instagram legend. On this tour Cycling the Bolivian Salt Flats & Hiking the Amazon adventure, you'll bike the famous Bolivia Salt Flats and explore the region's rich history by bike before flying into the Amazon to hike the Amazon with an indigenous guide, exploring its incredible culture and wildlife. [32][34], Hexagonal formations on the surface of the Salar de Uyuni as a result of salt crystallization from evaporating water. Borsa, A. Modeling the topography of the salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, as an equipotential surface of Earth's gravity field. The center of the Salar contains a few islands, which are the remains of the tops of ancient volcanoes submerged during the era of Lake Minchin. SEE TODO TURISMO BUSES & PERLA DE BOLIVIA SALT FLATS BUNDLE. The Bolivian salt flats are the largest in the world and are also one of South America’s main tourist attractions. It is located in the Department of Potosi in Southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, at 3.650 meters above sea level. Bolivia salt flats starting points: Uyuni, Tupiza, San Pedro de Atacama, La Paz and Sucre. A., Bills, B. G., & Minster, J. Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa)[1] is the world's largest salt flat, or playa, at over 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) in area. The Altiplano is a high plateau, which was formed during uplift of the Andes mountains. 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