The Bolivian Desert
The Bolivian Desert
The Bolivian Desert hosts some of South America’s most stunning natural sights. Within its expanse are the world’s largest salt flats, a staggering number of volcanos, colorful lagoons, abstract desert rock formations, geysers and hot springs. We spent four days road tripping across the desert, traveling hundreds of miles from La Paz and ending in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
Uyuni
The Uros Islands are a series of floating islands on Lake Titicaca made from buoyant mud bricks and totora, a reedlike grass that grows in the shallows and marshes of the lake.
The Uyuni Salt Flats
The Uyuni Salt Flats are the largest salt flats on the planet in the high Andes of Bolivia. We visited during the dry season when the salt created crusty white geometric patterns across the vast landscape.
After taking an overnight bus from La Paz, we drove far into the salt flats, away from civilization, where it was eerily quiet. We looked across the landscape admiring the bright white salt contrasted against the deep blue sky with silhouettes of volcanos and mountains on the horizon. Mirages formed making it appear as if some mountains were floating. Off of our peripheral, spiraling dust devils lurked in the distance while lighting from a storm latticed from dark clouds above the Andes.
Due to the vast flatness, one of the big draws is to take forced perspective photos! Our guide took multiple of us and our group.
Isla Incahuasi
Isla Incahuasi is a volcanic island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flats covered in cacti, fossilized coral and stromatolites from when the area was a saltwater sea. A trail across the island leads to its summit with panoramic views of the salt flats and mountains in the distance. We visited in the southern spring (November) when many of the cacti were blossoming with white tuft-like flowers. Some of the cacti are over 1,000 years old and can live up to 2,500 years.
The Train Graveyard
The Train Graveyard of rusted out track vintage train engines and cars. While here, we climbed on and inside the relics, snapping a few photos for the gram. It’s typically the first stop on any Uyuni tour.
(Off) Road Trip
After Uyuni, we began our road trip across the Bolivian Desert down a bumpy dirt road past golden brown craggily fields with salt deposits, short dry shrubs and the cutest wild vicuñas. A cloud of dust followed us while no other cars were to be seen for many miles emphasizing the remoteness of the landscape. Reddish brown volcanic mountain ranges carry across the horizon reaching towards the blue sky painted with wispy white clouds. We continued for the next two days, visiting volcanic lookouts, colorful lagoons, desert rock formations and geothermal areas.
Volcanos
The Coral Garden. Our first stop brought us to an ancient coral garden. The landscape is covered in fossilized coral formations with jagged edges and tubular structures pushed up from the sea to 3,700 meters by the Andes over the past 11 million years. No longer home to marine life, small lizards, doves and mice inhabit the corals surrounded by prickly desert shrubs.
Chiguana Salt Flat. Our second stop brought us to the Chiguana Salt Flat surrounded by dozens of volcanos along the Bolivia/Chile boarder. We continued through extremely rugged and bumpy off roads across the desert while admiring the volcanic landscape as we slowly climbed in altitude.
Ollagüe Volcano Viewpoint. At 4,200 meters, we stopped to look over the volcanic landscape and Bolivia’s only semi-active volcano, Ollagüe Volcano. We walked along ancient lava flows and past nodules of vibrant green moss to the lookout. The caldera of the volcano is colored greenish yellow by sulphur while a cloud of steam steadily releases from it. The view point had a restroom, cafe and small shop. We enjoyed a coca tea and bought coca beer, coca chocolate and roasted snacks.
Bolivian Lagoons
Laguna Cañapa. A salty lagoon surrounded by volcanos with a colony of pink and white flamingos feeding on microorganisms in the water. We watched through binoculars as some flamingos strutted up to the waters muddy edge showing off their pink necks and tail feathers.
Laguna Hedionda. A large salt lake with hues of blue, green and yellow in front of a towering volcano. The lagoon is a feeding ground for a large population of pink and white flamingos.
Laguna Chiar Khota. A lagoon in a valley with pale blue water, salty shores and patches of yellow sulphur with flocks of feeding flamingos.
Laguna Colorada. A vast and shallow salt lake with red tinted water, a large population of flamingos and four volcanos flanking each side of the lagoon. Wild vicuñas roam the yellow grass tufted hills surrounding the lagoon.
Laguna Verde. A greenish hued saltwater lagoon set against the backdrop of two cone shaped volcanoes. It’s home to feeding pink flamingos.
Rock Formations
Roca de Viscachas. A volcanic formation of eroded sheets of rock home to Vizcacha, a chinchilla like rodent and tiny mice.
Valle de Rocas. A valley of rocks that have been eroded by wind speeds of 130km and freezing temperatures of -25C creating a unique formations of split and splintered rock. Two of the most iconic formations are the mushroom and Arbol de Piedra.
The Dali Desert. A desert with a surreal landscape that resembles one of Salvador Dali’s paintings. Large rocks rest upright along an ancient lava flow from a volcano that’s profile resembles the face of an elephant.
Geothermal Activity
Sol de Mañana Geysers. A series of steam vents, bubbling pools of mud and sulphuric deposits covering the barren desert landscape. We walked between the smelly and steaming vents, warming our hands in the below freezing temperatures at nearly 5,000 meters above sea level.
Aguas Termales de Polques. A natural hot spring with two steaming pools at the edge of a saltwater lagoon. We relaxed here for half an hour, at one point having the pool entirely to ourselves.
Where to Stay
Hotel Warara. A salt hotel on with walls, decor, tables and bed frames all made from salt blocks, plaster and crystals. We stayed here one night during our tour of the Uyuni Salt Flats and Bolivian Desert.
Hostel San Marcelo. A hostel in a small village on the other side of the Laguna Colorada. The rooms are basic but have twin beds, layers of warm blankets for the cold nights and shared restrooms. The hostel lacks electricity & wifi.
Perla de Bolivia
We visited the Uyuni Salt Flats and sights across the Bolivian Desert with Perla de Bolivia. On the four day tour from La Paz, Bolivia to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. The tour included transportation, accommodations, guides, meals, snacks, water, including vegetarian options. Book here!
