Laguna and Salar de Coipasa

Laguna Coipasa, surrounded by the Salar de Coipasa, is a salt lake no more than 3.5 metres deep. It is difficult to access, as to get close you have to cross the salar, which mixes with the salty water to form a white mud.

Every traveller knows about the famous Salar de Uyuni, but the Coipasa salar is rarely mentioned. It's Bolivia's second-largest salt flat, at around 70 km long and 50 km wide. This salar is much more difficult to navigate, as it is almost always covered by a small layer of water mixed with salt. Obviously, this salt is very bad for vehicles, especially motorcycle chains and sprockets.

Thierry's bike covered with a good layer of salt.

Road from Laguna Coipasa to Ayque

The Coipasa salar is only about 30 km away from the start of the Uyuni salar. We're slowly approaching the latter, and are beginning to see it on the horizon.

We try to take the trail to the summit of the Tunupa volcano. We almost make it, but we can't climb the last few kilometres, as the track becomes difficult for the bikes. The view of the Salar de Uyuni is extraordinary.

Our camp at the foot of the Tunupa volcano, just a few metres from the village of Ayque.