Salar de Uyuni, the salt horizon above Uyuni
Published on 09/14/2026 at 20:11 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Salar de Uyuni is a vast salt flat on the Andean Altiplano of southwest Bolivia, spreading across the plateau near the town of Uyuni in Potosí Department. The expanse lies at an elevation of around 3,656 m (11,995 ft), creating a high plain where a white salt crust reaches to the horizon in every direction.
A salt flat the size of a small country
The defining feature of Salar de Uyuni is scale: a continuous salt surface covering about 10,582 square kilometres (4,086 sq mi), a footprint comparable to a small country or a compact US state.covers about 10,582 square kilometres This broad, almost level crust forms one of the largest single salt landscapes on Earth. The salt layer itself is hard underfoot and strong enough for vehicles to cross large areas when conditions permit, its pale surface reflecting the high-altitude light.
The flat occupies the deepest part of an endorheic basin on the Bolivian Altiplano, separated from the nearby Coipasa salt flat by low hills and ridges.Bolivian Altiplano basin Its elevation around 3,656 m (11,995 ft) makes it one of the highest extensive desert landscapes, a place where the air is thin and the light clear.around 3,656 m above sea level Across the surface, the salt forms an intricate pattern of polygonal plates as it dries and cracks, producing a mosaic that continues far into the distance.
From ancient lakes to a crust of salt
Geologically, Salar de Uyuni represents the dried bed of ancient lakes that once filled much of southwest Bolivia. The salt flat occupies what was previously the deepest part of a late Pleistocene lake known as Lago Tauca, which covered the southern Altiplano until around 12,000 years ago.Lago Tauca on the southern Altiplano Other prehistoric lakes such as Lake Minchin and Lake Ballivián also left behind salt deposits across this region, and their evaporation helped shape the salars of Uyuni and Coipasa and the nearby lakes Poopó and Uru Uru.evaporation of Lake Tauca
Beneath the visible crust lies a layer of brine rich in dissolved minerals, including halite and significant concentrations of lithium.brine rich in lithium Estimates suggest that this basin contains a large share of the world’s known lithium reserves, making Salar de Uyuni a focus of economic interest as well as a striking landscape.contains over half of the world's lithium reserves The salt volume is measured in billions of tonnes, and around the margins small settlements extract salt and other minerals, continuing a long-standing use of the flat as a resource.
A landscape of mirrors, islands and high-altitude light
Across most of the year, Salar de Uyuni appears as a blinding white plain of salt polygons, the geometric surface broken only by occasional dark outcrops and distant volcanoes rising from the Altiplano.white plain of hexagonal salt tiles In the rainy season a shallow sheet of water can cover parts of the crust, turning the flat into a vast natural mirror where clouds, stars and nearby peaks are reflected almost seamlessly.natural mirror across the salt This dual character between dry-season patterns and wet-season reflections gives the landscape contrasting faces that visitors notice from the edge and from within the flat.
Isolated elevated areas within the flats are sometimes described as islands, rising above the salt surface as rocky hills dotted with vegetation. Around the shores, small towns such as Uyuni and Llica provide bases from which journeys onto the salt are organised, and low hills and volcanic remnants offer viewpoints back over the patterned crust.low hills and volcanic remnants In clear conditions the horizon can feel distant and sharp, with the flat stretching so evenly that satellite agencies have used its level surface to calibrate remote sensing instruments.used to calibrate satellite instruments
Visiting Salar de Uyuni: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Salar de Uyuni lies in southwest Bolivia on the Andean Altiplano, with Uyuni and other small towns serving as gateways reached overland from regional cities.
- The salt crust forms a broad, exposed surface at high altitude, so time on the flat involves walking or driving on hard salt with little natural shade.
- The surrounding terrain includes low hills and occasional rocky islands rising from the flats, and viewpoints from these areas look out across the patterned salt surface.
- The official language is Spanish and the currency is the Boliviano.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Salar de Uyuni
Where is Salar de Uyuni located?
Salar de Uyuni lies on the Bolivian Altiplano in southwest Bolivia, mainly in Potosí Department, with the town of Uyuni acting as a common access point.
What should visitors expect on a visit to Salar de Uyuni?
Visitors encounter an extensive high-altitude salt surface, travel by vehicle or on foot across the crust, and see contrasting dry-season patterns and wet-season reflections.
What makes Salar de Uyuni distinctive among salt landscapes?
Its combination of great area, high elevation, geometric salt plates, mirror-like wet-season reflections and substantial lithium-rich brine beneath the crust distinguishes it among salt flats.
