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With a surface area of some 12,000 sq. km. (7,500 sq.
mi.) and
situated to the southwest of Bolivia, the Uyuni Salt Flat is the
largest salt bed in the world. It covers almost the entire Province
of Daniel Campos. It is comprised of approximately 11 layers, each
one varying in thickness from 2 to 10 meters (6.5 and 32.8 ft). The
crust on the surface is 10 meters thick, and it is estimated that
the amount of salt that exists weighs about 64 billion tons.
Additionally, the salt flat is situated on a major Lithium reserve
and it contains significant quantities of potassium, boron, and
magnesium. The Salt Bed is located at an altitude of 3,700 m (12,136
ft), in the western part of Uyuni, and it forms an enormous,
completely flat, white plain. This infinite extension is what
remains of a sea that filled the entire high plateau up to Lake
Titicaca, and over the course of millions of years, the sea
disappeared. Today, Lake Titicaca, Lake Poopó, and the Coipasa and
Uyuni Salt Flats are what is left of that sea. To get to the Salt
Flat, the busiest route is the one that begins in the city of Uyuni,
located in the center of the Potosí district, and it heads
northeast toward the Uyuni Salt Flat until it arrives to Colchani, a
population dedicated to the artisan development of the salt. 10 km
(6.25 mi) further west of Colchani is the Salt Hotel, where
everything is made of salt: chairs, beds, tables, walls. Also on the
way, you will find Isla de Pescado (Fish Island), a 10-hour trip from
Colchani. It is considered the largest "oasis" in a salt
flat presented by such an isolated ecosystem. The island is
populated by a number of cacti more than 8 m (26 ft) tall. One can
enjoy the landscape that is similar to those of polar regions where
blues and whites merge together, and whose reflections generate
images of inverted and horizontal saline hills over the horizon.
These images make for one of the best tourist sites for photography
aficionados.
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Region
Potosí
Location
It is found in the region south of the Potosí district.
When to go
The best time to travel is the season from July to November,
when the salt bed is very dry.
Attractions
The major attraction of this area is its landscape, the Salt
Hotel, and Fish Island (Isla de Pescado).
How to get there
If you depart from La Paz you should fly to Sucre, go by land
to Potosí, and from there you can easily arrive to Uyuni.
Activities
The landscape's wildlife observation, ecotourism.
Climate
Rainy from November to March. Dry the rest of the
year. Services
Accommodations, food
Surroundings
Colchani, Llica, Salar de Coipasa (Coipasa Salt Bed), Laguna Colorada
(Red Lagoon)
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