Hello steemits, I have been compiling a series of places that I would like to meet someday, and as our planet is so huge and full of incredible places, it was quite complicated to choose a few, this post is dedicated to an incredible place:
The "Salar de Uyuni" in Bolivia
The "salar de Uyuni" is the largest salt desert in the world and one of the most tourist attractions of Bolivia that is located in the department of Potosí. In the center we find a group of islets, the most important of all is the island of the fish, which is characterized by its huge cactus and houses some services. You can hire excursions from Uyuni and there is also the possibility to go from Atacama in Chile through the Andes mountain range. The Salar de Uyuni is the largest continuous salt desert in the world, with an area of 12,000 km². It is located at 3650 meters above sea level in the southwest of Bolivia, in the province of Daniel Campos in the department of Potosí within the highland region of the Cordillera de los Andes. Salar de Uyuni is also one of the largest reserves of lithium in the world, and also has significant amounts of potassium, boron and magnesium.
The area that today occupies this desert was covered 40,000 years ago by Lake Minchin and then, 11,000 years ago, by Lake Tauca. The Coipasa salt flat and the Poopó and Uru Uru lakes are also vestiges of these great prehistoric lakes. These reached a level of around 100 m above the current level of the Salar, and covered the current Salares de Uyuni and Coipasa, and the Poopo and Uru Uru lakes. In this period a wet climate phase, with more rains than at present, raised the level of the protolagos to approximately 100 m higher than the current level, later a dry and warm period came, which produced a great reduction of the surface and volume of the Andean lakes, thus originating the salt flats and the current lagoons.
Salar de Uyuni, in addition to the above, contains very important compounds for basic and industrial chemistry. In Bolivia, in a geologic past there were vast lakes larger than the current ones, known by the names of Ballivián, Minchín and Tauca. The first has been a predecessor of Lake Titicaca; the second covered Uyuni to the north and Lake Tauca by evaporation gave rise to the Salar de Uyuni.
It is a very large mirror
How long does it take to visit the Salar de Uyuni?
Before answering this question, it must be made clear that the Salar de Uyuni, properly speaking, is the largest salt desert on Earth. The city of Uyuni (Bolivia) is right at the beginning of this magnificent natural place and from there you could see it in a single day.
That said, it should be noted that the tour of the Salar de Uyuni is generally spoken of as a two- to four-day tour, not only because of this gigantic white stretch, but as a route that also includes numerous attractions of the Bolivian highlands, such as spectacular lagoons of diverse colors, rock formations and a unique desert environment full of native fauna.
Where can I take the Salar de Uyuni tour?
From Uyuni (Bolivia). They can be contracted from the Bolivian city itself. There various companies operate and offer unequal quality. We recommend looking for references of tour operators and not be guided exclusively by the price. The duration of the tours varies from 1 to 4 days.
From San Pedro de Atacama (Chile). In general terms, the services of Chilean operators offer a higher quality standard, although we also recommend seeking recommendations before hiring. There are 4-day and 3-day tours, depending on whether you want to return to the Chilean town or end up in the city of Uyuni. And if you do not want to take risks with very basic accommodations, there is the option to take the private tour with superior accommodation in hotels.
From La Paz (Bolivia). There are also tours to the salar from the Bolivian capital, lasting 2 to 3 days.
The three options, both in regular and private service, can be contracted through denomades.com, with tour operators that guarantee quality and safety.
Are all tours circular? Starting from San Pedro can I ask to be left in Bolivia or vice versa?
Yes. You can request a waiver of the return trip to continue your trip in the neighboring country. If you wish, the duration of the tour will be only 3 days because you save the return day. This can be a very good alternative if you have time to travel.
Is it mandatory to hire a tour? Can I go on my own?
It is not mandatory but it is highly recommended. Keep in mind that there are hardly any signs on the road and the Salar is the perfect place to get lost as there are hardly any visual references and it has 10,500 square kilometers of extension. The risks of being stranded in the rainy season if you do not know the terrain are also very high. In any case you will need a 4 × 4 vehicle.
How likely is it to suffer from puna or altitude sickness in the Salar de Uyuni?
You must keep in mind that you will overcome the 3,600 meters of altitude, so that it is possible that you feel the effects of the puna. Among the basic recommendations, it is advisable to acclimatize before the tour, that is, spend a few days in a place of considerable altitude to give time for your body to get used to the decrease of oxygen in the air.
What is the best time to visit the Salar? How's the weather?
It is difficult to answer that question, we will leave it in a "it depends". Between May and November (cold seasons) the rains are scarce or nonexistent. The Salar offers then an appearance similar to a white sea, where perspective is lost and offers many opportunities to take funny photographs playing with the optical effects that occur. At this time, on average, the maximum temperatures of 18 ° C and minimum of 1'7 ° C.
Between January and February (warm seasons) is the rainy season in the area. But that is not necessarily bad. You have probably seen photographs of the Salar turned into a gigantic mirror. This phenomenon only occurs at this time. If you are interested in seeing it, we recommend going in mid-January or late February, as you can see the reflections with a lower risk of rain. In this period, on average, maximum temperatures are 16 ° C and minimum temperatures are -3 ° C.
What happens in case of rain?
When it rains abundantly, access to the salt can be hindered by the accumulation of water, and access to Isla Incahuasi or Isla del Pescado (located in the middle of the salt) can be closed. If this circumstance occurs, the visit to this island is canceled, and the salt is entered only to a safe distance for the passengers and the vehicle.
Do you have to have a Tourism Visa to enter Bolivia?
It depends on the passenger's nationality. Visitors of Group I nationality (most of Western Europe, America and some Asian countries) do not require a Visa to enter Bolivia. Passengers of Group II and Group III do have to pay a US $ 100 Visa, in addition to carrying two passport-size photographs. Visitors from the USA and Puerto Rico must pay a visa of US $ 160, plus 2 passport-size photographs.
To understand which countries belong to each group, we leave you the following map. The orange and green countries represent group I, the anarajandos can enter carrying their passport or identity card, while countries in green must submit their passport.
Citizens of the nations in yellow belong to group II and must pay an "on arrival" visa, which corresponds to US $ 100. Meanwhile, the brown countries (including the US, Puerto Rico and Iran in light yellow) are those that form group III, which must pay a visa of US $ 160.
Important: The visa is obtained directly at the border, where along with the payment of the visa in dollars in cash (tickets in good condition), passengers must present their passport along with two passport-size photographs.
Are vaccines needed?
To visit the Salar de Uyuni or San Pedro de Atacama it is not necessary to get vaccinated. If after visiting Uyuni you intend to go to the Amazon jungle, you must be vaccinated against yellow fever.
How much is admission?
No tour operator includes the price of the tickets, which must be paid additionally. These attractions (with the exception of the Incahuasi Island) are only accessible on 3 or 4 day tours. One dollar is equivalent to about 6.8 bolivianos (Bs). We detail the costs of the tickets below:
- Entrance to Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna (Bs150 pp).
- Entrance to Termas de Polques (Bs6 pp).
- Entrance to Isla Incahuasi (Bs30 pp). Only if you want to visit.
- Access to bathrooms on the way (approx Bs6 each entry). In the accommodations the use of the bathrooms is free
Where can you sleep?
There are diverse accommodation options with varying degrees of amenities. In general, they are austere and do not include the sheets, so you have to carry a thick sleeping bag to be warm during the cold nights of the Bolivian highlands. There are some that have a category of shelters and you have to share a room with other travelers, that must be clear from the beginning. Some category tours, such as that offered by Denomades, spend a night in the picturesque hotel of Sal Tambo Loma, built with blocks of salt extracted from the salar.
Must to see?
Among the many attractions of the complete tour (3-4 days) we highlight 7 wonders between San Pedro and Uyuni:
- Salar de Uyuni.
- Incahuasi Island.
- Train Cemetery.
- Desert Siloli and Stone Tree.
- Laguna Colorada.
- Termas de Polques (suitable for bathing).
- Geysers of the Sun of Tomorrow.
What should I take with me on the Salar tour?
- Comfortable and warm clothing.
- Comfortable footwear (ideally trekking).
- Bathing suit and towel (for Termas de Polques).
- Sunglasses.
- Sunscreen.
- Sleeping bag.
- Water (1 liter per person, per day).
- Passport
I hope you have liked this information, I already wanted to go.