Potosi Bolivia Panorama

Read more… Ethics of Tourism: Mines of Potosi Bolivia

The most popular multi-day tour available for visiting the Uyuni Salt Flats is driving a 4×4 between Tupiza and Uyuni, Bolivia.  This photo essay will take you through our 4-day tour beginning in Southwest Bolivia and ending with a sunrise over the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world.

Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Tour: Day 1

We booked our tour through Tupiza Tours, the oldest, highly recommended agency out of Tupiza. Tours from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile and La Paz, Bolivia are also availabe.  With our fuel, food, and backpacks secured on top of the Toyota Land Cruisers, we began our tour.

Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 Tour Vehicles

Tupiza, Bolivia

Leaving Tupiza, Bolivia in our 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser

Lunch on a Llama Farm, Day 1 of our Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni Tour

All meals are served everyday by a personal cook that accompanies the tour group. They will meet vegetarian needs.

Driving Through Adobe Villages in the Bolivia Highlands

Be conscious of Bolivia’s indigenous and their absolute desire to not have their pictures taken.

In the Direction Where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Were Allegedly Killed

Bolivia's Highlands

Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Tour: Day 2

We continue to climb in altitude reaching Bolivia’s unique and varying highlands.  The majority of these tours is spent driving in the 4×4 vehicles.  Consider yourself lucky if you drive with people you get along with.  Each night we arrived to our destination just before dark, so the schedule is tight.  Remember you are in the highlands and night time can be extremely cold.  All accommodations will provide the bare minimum with no amenities.

Early Morning at the San Antonio Ruins

Laguna Morejon in Bolivia

The View of Bolivia's Mountains from our Tour Vehicle

Rock Formations in Bolivia's Highlands

Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna, Potosi Department, Bolivia

Getting Muddy in our 4x4 at Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna

Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Andean Fauna, Potosi Department, Bolivia

Laguna Kollpa in Bolivia

Laguna Kollpa in Bolivia

Salar de Chalviri in Bolivia

Aguas Calientes (Hot Springs) Near the Salar de Chalviri in Bolivia

A hot spring in the middle of the Bolivia highlands was an incredible surprise. Bring your bathing suit and hop in the hot water and enjoy one of the best bath views in the world.  During day 2 the varying landscapes are exposed.  Strange deserts, salt flats, snow capped mountains, unique rock formations and geothermal fields.

Desierto de Dali / Dali Desert in Bolivia

Mountains Near Desierto de Dali / Dali Desert in Bolivia

Laguna Verde and Volcano Licancabur

If the weather cooperates, a blue sky can make the scenery captivating.  We were lucky to have cloud formations that resembled alien spaceships.

Bolivia Mountains and Cool Cloud Formations

Sol de Manana Geysers / Geothermal Field in Bolivia

Smell the humid air of the Sol de Manana Geysers. Get as close as possible without gagging or falling into the steaming pits.

Sol de Manana Geysers / Geothermal Field

Bolivia Mountains and Cool Cloud Formations

Bolivia Desert and Cool Cloud Formations

Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Tour: Day 3

During day 3 of the tour we became immune to the excitement surrounding colorful lagoons. After getting out of the truck for 6 different lakes, you can get a little bored, especially if it’s windy and cool out. Our weather was not ideal for glowing lake pictures.  Expect a few vehicle breakdowns during your off-road tour.  We experienced 2 flat tires and a failed fuel pump, which the tour guides were able to fix, evidence of their mechanical skills.

Laguna Colorada in Bolivia's Altiplano

Flamingos in the Laguna Colorada in Bolivia's Altiplano

Flamingos in the Laguna Colorada in Bolivia's Altiplano

Reflections in Laguna Colorada in Bolivia's Altiplano

Arbol de Piedra en Desierto de Siloli / Rock Tree in the Siloli Desert

Rock Formations in the Siloli Desert / Desierto de Siloli

Driving Across the Siloli Desert / Desierto de Siloli

Laguna Ramaditas, Potosi Department, Bolivia

Flamingos in Laguna Ramaditas, Potosi Department, Bolivia

Volcanic Rock Formations in the Desert

Train Tracks Over Salar de Chiguana

Driving Over the Salar de Chiguana in Bolivia

Just as the sun was setting over the Salar de Uyuni, we arrive to our Salt accommodations.  It was a hostel made completely of salt, including the furniture.

Salt Hotel / Hostel on the Salar de Uyuni

Salt Hotel / Hostel on the Salar de Uyuni

Tupiza to Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia Tour: Day 4

We awoke before sunrise and drove out to the center of the Uyuni Salt flats for the first time to enjoy the spectacular Uyuni de Salar sunrise.  This is a sunrise like nothing else you have seen before.

Sunrise on the Bolivia Salt Flats

Sunrise on the Bolivia Salt Flats

Fun Perspective Photos on Salar de Uyuni

Much of the time on the salt flats is spent taking fun pictures. Each guide will have their own creative poses for you to try. The all white background of the salt flats provide the unique opportunity to take photos that create illusions, or fool the human eye.

All tours eventually make a stop on the unique Incahuasi Island. This island is easily identified as a reef and you can climb up through the ancient cacti for incredible panoramic views of the salt flats. We ate our last lunch here.

Incahuasi Island / Cactus Island in the center of Salar de Uyuni

At the end of the tour, just like the end of a ride at an amusement park, we are courted through an area where salt souvenirs are being sold.

Salar de Uyuni Souvenir Shopping

Celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria Festival & Basilica in Copacabana, Bolivia

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, from where boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia.

The town is a destination for tourism in Bolivia. The town is also known for its famous Basilica, home of the Virgin of Copacabana, its trout, and its quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana’s religious celebrations, cultural patrimony, and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. – Wikipedia

Bus Ferry Across Tiquina Straits in Bolivia

We were leaving Peru and crossing the border into Bolivia to arrive at the beach town of Copacabana. During our border crossing drive, we arrived at the Straits of Tiquina. The bus dropped us all off at the waters edge and we quickly discovered what was about to happen based on other floating buses and cars in the distance. The buses drove onto these fragile bare-bone barges, thankfully without us, and they were towed across the lake using very small outboard motors. It was a constant operation that seemed to work rather efficiently, as long as buses weren’t sinking.

Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) Copacabana, Bolivia Overlooking Lake Titicaca

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca, from where boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia.

The town is a destination for tourism in Bolivia. The town is also known for its famous Basilica, home of the Virgin of Copacabana, its trout, and its quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana’s religious celebrations, cultural patrimony, and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. – Wikipedia

This is a photo of Cerro Calvario (Calvary Hill) which is lined with monuments representing the 14 Stations of the Cross. Pilgrims visit the Stations for prayer and penance and many tourists climb the hill for its fine views. The Stations of the Cross were built on this hill in the 1950s, when the government decided Copacabana should have more to offer its thousands of pilgrims than just the Basilica of the Virgin. – Sacred Destinations

It took a friend and I (Chuck) 30 minutes to walk all of the steep steps to the top. The exhausting climb was worth the beautiful sunset view out into Lake Titicaca. Some of our best Bolivia sunset photos were taken from this perch.

Our 4-Day Tupiza to Uyuni tour in Bolivia, South America was filled with unique landscapes. We captured snow capped mountains, surreal deserts, eroded mountain ranges, glowing lakes and most importantly the largest Salt Flats in the world, Salar de Uyuni.

This picture is from day 3 of our tour which revealed hundreds of flamingos. Unfortunately we had a very thick overcast the first half of the day, which made the flamingos not so pink.

Flamingos in the Bolivia Altiplano

Our 4-Day Tupiza to Uyuni tour in Bolivia, South America was filled with unique landscapes. We captured snow capped mountains, snow dotted deserts, eroded mountain ranges, glowing lakes and most importantly the largest Salt Flats in the world, Salar de Uyuni.

This picture is from day 2 of our tour when we were first exposed to the glowing lakes, dark volcanoes and Salvador Dali looking desert. And of course, this desert is named Desierto de Dali.

Desierto de Dali / Dali Desert in Bolivia

Our 4-Day Tupiza to Uyuni tour in Bolivia, South America was filled with unique landscapes. We captured snow capped mountains, snow dotted deserts, eroded mountain ranges, glowing lakes and most importantly the largest Salt Flats in the world, Salar de Uyuni.

This album is from day 1 of our tour, which departed from Tupiza (near the Argentina border) in a 4×4 Toyota Landcruiser.

A Church in the Bolivia Desert

Potosi Bolivia has always been dominated by mining for minerals, specifically silver.  The storied past surrounding the infamous Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) is heart breaking and one that you can’t escape even walking through the narrow streets of downtown Potosi.  In this photo of the day, Cerro Rico and the danger it poses to miners looms in the distance.

Read more… Ethics of Tourism: Mines of Potosi Bolivia

Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) as Seen From the Streets of Potosi Bolivia

Situated on the Bolivian side of the lake with regular boat links to the Bolivian town of Copacabana, Isla del Sol (“Island of the sun”) is one of the lake’s largest islands.  Geographically, the terrain is harsh; it is a rocky, hilly island.  There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island.  The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy.  There are over 180 ruins on the island. Most of these date to the Inca period circa the 15th century AD. – Wikipedia

We walked across the island in 3 hours capturing some of the most beautiful ocean island views we have ever seen.  We went off trail and climbed to the top of nearby hill to get a close up glimpse of this religious cross.

A Religious Cross Rests High on Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca

One of the major tourist attractions of the area is an antique train cemetery. It is located 3 km outside Uyuni and is connected to it by the old train tracks. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals on their way to the Pacific Ocean ports. The train lines were built by British engineers who arrived near the end of the 19th century and formed a sizable community in Uyuni. The engineers were invited by British-sponsored Antofagasta and Bolivia Railway Companies, which is now Ferrocarril de Antofagasta a Bolivia. The rail construction started in 1888 and ended in 1892. It was encouraged by the then Bolivian President Aniceto Arce, who believed Bolivia would flourish with a good transport system, but it was also constantly sabotaged by the local Aymara indigenous Indians who saw it as an intrusion into their lives. The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, partly due to the mineral depletion. Many trains were abandoned thereby producing the train cemetery. – Wikipedia

F´d Up Economics of Tourism in Uyuni Bolivia

El Cementerio de Trenes en Bolivia

Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is an island in the southern part of Lake Titicaca.  It is part of the modern Plurinational State of Bolivia.  Geographically, the terrain is harsh; it is a rocky, hilly island.  There are no motor vehicles or paved roads on the island.  The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy.  Of the several villages, Yumani and Cha’llapampa are the largest.  There are over 80 ruins on the island. – Wikipedia

Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca

During our Tupiza to Uyuni Bolivia Salt Flats 4-day tour we witnessed incredible and varying scenery, such as this sunrise over the salt flats early the last morning. The white ground creates a very unique glow which is hard to experience elsewhere. If the clouds are clear enough, it may be the best sunrise you will ever experience.

Sun Rising At Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia

During our Tupiza to Uyuni Bolivia Salt Flats 4-day tour we witnessed incredible and varying scenery, such as this snow capped mountain in the background.  From the Toyota Land Cruiser window we saw desert, volcanic rock, glowing lakes, volcanoes and of course, the Uyuni Salt Flats.  The canyon below the mountains in the plains is a river gorge that was entirely dry.  During the rains it must flood incredibly in order to have created such a crack in the ground.

Mountains and Plains During Bolivia's Tupiza to Uyuni Tour

The naturally formed crater of Maragua was created by the landscape rising, versus the more common volcano craters. A small village rests peacefully in the crater, where school children congregate from all the surrounding tribes. The site was part of a 3-day trek out of Sucre, Bolivia with Condortrekkers.

Maragua Crater Near Sucre Bolivia

This is the greatest scenery you could ever imagine while bathing in natural springs. The hot springs are located in the Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve of Bolivia, which is included in the 4 day Uyuni Salt Flats Tour. We stopped to enjoy lunch just inside the park’s entrance where the springs empty into a large lake. Once you were in the pool, you didn’t want to get out, because the weather was freezing!

Most Incredible View From Hot Springs

We took a 3-day trek with Condortrekkers, a non-profit tour organization based out of Sucre, Bolivia.   Our trek consisted of walking along an Inca Trail, exploring Maragua Crater and touching Dinosaur Footprints.  These footprints 64 million year old fossils were left in the bottom of a lake bed and preserved with sediment.

Dinosaur Footprints Near Sucre, Bolivia

This young boy and his Donkey passed by while we were taking a snack and water break during our hike at Isla del Sol in Lake Titicaca.  The boy took interest in us and stopped just beside us to see what we were up to.  I engaged him in conversation and offered him Pringles in exchange for a picture, he agreed.

A Boy And His Donkey At Isla del Sol, Bolivia

This photo was taken at the Tarabuco Market near Sucre, Bolivia.  Click here for Tarabuco Market Post

Weavings On Sale At The Tarabuco Market Near Sucre Bolivia