Travels around the world 2009-2024
Exploring our beautiful planet

Salar de Uyuni

December 3, 2019  —  Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia

With Caroline, the second leg of our journey in Bolivia was to drive on the Salar de Uyuni, the biggest salt flat in the world. It was an awesome experience, but hard to describe. The salar is a vast salt lake with occasional islands of rocks and cacti.

The salar covers an area of about 100 x 150 kilometres. Imagine, driving for some 150 km on a salt flat. It's incredible. The scenery is also quite spectacular and so incredibly shiny. It's almost impossible to open your eyes on this landscape without the protection of good sunglasses. The sun, so strong at 3600 metres, fiercely reflects on the almost purely white ground of the salt flat.

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
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Isla Incahuasi (Inkawasi)

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia

The Incahuasi Island is a small hill at the heart of the Salar de Uyuni. Incahuasi is a Quechua word meaning 'the Inca House.'

The island is covered with cacti which height may reach up to 12 metres. With a growth of 1 cm per year, the tallest cactus is 1,200 years old.

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
The Incahuasi Island, the most famous and the most visited islands of the salar.
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
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Isla Phia Phia (Pia Pia)

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Cueva del Diablo (Devil's Cave).
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia

We preferred finding an island just for ourselves. We went to the Phia Phia Island where we established our base camp for a night. On this island, we also encountered the Devil's Cave.

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Our campsite... Caroline slept under the stars, protected by the stony wall.
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Isla Phia Phia - Hike around the island

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
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Isla Phia Phia - The next morning

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
The viscacha is a species of rodent in the chinchilla family.
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
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Playa Blanca Salt Hotel

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia

This hotel is now shut down, but it is still possible to visit it.

Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni - Bolivia