A mirror like land, which reflects stunning views, the sky and the clouds? Yes, its true. The Salar De Uyuni, a 10,582 square kilometre stretch of salt flats in Bolivia, is nothing short of magical!
It is the world’s largest salt desert and is breathtakingly beautiful. Abundance of white spread over miles and miles of land. It contains more than 10 billion tonnes of salt, and was once a part of the ancient Salt Lake, Lake Minchin. After the lake dried up, large patches of salt like this one, were left behind.
It is one of the most astounding natural wonders of South America. A Bolivian marvel, as it is often called!
Local Bolivian legend is full of stories that have been passed down since generations. One of the popular ones is that the mountains surrounding the salt flats, named Kusina Kusku and Tunupa, were once giant humans. Tunupa and Kusku were married and when Kusku abandoned his wife for Kusina, Tunupa couldn’t stop crying and her tears formed the salt flats.
Full of conical salt pyramids, the Salar De Uyuni is an endless criss-cross of hexagonal lines, caused by the crystalline nature of salt.
Another wonder of this place is the first of its kind, salt hotel which is built right in the middle of the desert. Yes, the hotel is entirely made of salt. The bricks and mortar, the chairs, tables, beds – everything is made of salt. Hotel Playa Blanca, is a unique place to enjoy not just ‘salty’ surroundings but also the jaw dropping night sky that this venue promises.
During monsoons, the flat salt base transforms into pools of water, which reflects the view and the sky completely. Thousands of tourists travel here during monsoons just to witness this outstanding phenomenon. This time is also a photographer’s delight!
Uyuni in Bolivia is well connected. There are regular tours that start from here. You can also choose to rent a car or take a flight to Uyuni from La Paz, the capital city.