The biggest salt flat in the world, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is a natural beauty that challenges imagination. Covering more than 10,000 square kilometres, this immaculate white terrain presents guests with an exotic and strange experience unlike anywhere else on Earth. From mind-bending picture chances to stargazing in total solitude, this magnificent location changes with the seasons to provide unforgettable events that will make you wonder. Extreme altitude, ideal flatness, and pure white salt taken together provide circumstances for some of the most amazing excursions accessible to contemporary tourists. Salar de Uyuni guarantees lifetime memories regardless of your interests—photography, nature, or just seeking unusual events.
1. Mirror of the Sky: The Infinite Reflection Experience
A thin layer of water changes the salt flat into the biggest natural mirror throughout the wet season, December through April. It is impossible to tell where the earth ends and heaven starts from this amazing optical illusion producing a perfect reflection of the sky. Both visitors and photographers can get amazing pictures where the horizon totally disappears, giving the impression of wandering amid the clouds. Sunrise and sunset provide especially beautiful experiences since the whole scene is brilliantly coloured in orange, pink, and purple, reflecting exactly on the mirror-like surface. Early morning trips provide the best consistent conditions for photography since the wind usually is calm and produces glass-like reflections that span the distance the eye can see. Arriving before dawn, professional photographers typically capture the change from starlit night to golden morning—when the surface of the salt flat is most reflective. Light and water interact to provide chances for imaginative photography whereby subjects seem to be floating in an endless sky or walking on water. Since the salt water could damage equipment, visitors are urged to pack protective clothing for their cameras and waterproof boots. The experience changes with the rainy season; changing water levels produce diverse reflecting patterns and photographic possibilities.
