Twighlight reflections and Tunupa Vulcano - 2 Days / 1 Night

Day 1

Train Cemetery - Colchani Village - Ojos del Salar - Salt Statue of the Dakar Rally - Former Salt Hotel Playa Blanca - Incahuasi Island - Sunset inside the Salar de Uyuni - Colchani

We will start our journey traveling 3 Kilometers away from Uyuni where we will find the Train Cemetery, a place that shelters dozens of old locomotives and wagons from the year 1890.

The remains of the trains take us on an imaginary journey towards a time of flourishing progress, today transformed into a rustic deserted courtyard ideal for the romantic traveler who likes to photograph traces of a not so distant past.

We will then travel to the town of Colchani, a small town of salt producers located 20 km from Uyuni. In Colchani you will visit a traditional salt factory, where you can observe the way in which the salt extracted from the Salar is packed. You will have some free time to buy salt crafts.

Next, we will enter the wonderful Salar de Uyuni. At the entrance of the Salar you will see the Eyes of the Salar which are small streams of water that flow from the interior of the earth under the salt. It is said that this water has healing properties due to its saline and acidic concentrations.

In the dry season, the surface of the Salar de Uyuni is covered by near geometrical shapes formed by the salt particles agglomerated into polygons. In the rainy season (December, January, February and part of March) the Salar is covered with water and resembles a giant mirror.

During our journey we will observe the Statue of Salt erected to mark the passing of the Dakar Rally in Bolivia. Then we will walk to the old Hotel de Sal Playa Blanca. Next to the Hotel there is a small mound with several flags from around the world. These symbolic flags have been left by travelers visiting Salar de Uyuni. We invite you to carry a flag of your country and leave it at this significant point in the Salar de Uyuni.

We will have lunch enjoying the beautiful landscape inside the Salar.

We will continue our trip traveling to the Incahuasi Island, home of millenary giant cacti (Echinopsis atacamensis) up to 6 meters high. The Incahuasi Island is a genuine spectacle of life inside the salt desert.

We will climb the Incahuasi Island until we reach the viewpoint, from which we will have a 360 degree view of the Salar de Uyuni and a privileged view of the Tunupa Volcano.

Our expedition would not be complete without witnessing a wonderful sunset inside the Salar de Uyuni.

The day will end at your Hotel. You will stay at one of the famous salt hotels located on the banks of the Salar de Uyuni in the town of Colchani. Depending on the availability of the hotels we will offer lodging at the Luna Salada Hotel, Hotel Palacio de Sal or at the Hotel de Sal Tayka.

Day 2

Stargazing - Sunrise inside the Salar de Uyuni - Tunupa Volcano - Uyuni

03:30 We will pick you up from your hotel to transport you to a privileged place in the Salar de Uyuni where we will observe the stars and a beautiful sunrise.

Observing the stars and the sunrise inside the Salar de Uyuni in the dry season is an unforgettable experience. After sunrise we will drive you to your Hotel.

Breakfast.

We will cross the Salar de Uyuni heading to the town of Coqueza located at the foot of the Tunupa Volcano which has a height of 5,432 meters above sea level.

We will observe the beautiful landscape of the Salar de Uyuni, the Tunupa Volcano and a small lagoon (lagunilla) populated by Andean birds and some pink flamingos. Near the Lagunilla we can see llamas that graze peacefully in the bofedales (Andean wet landscapes).

According to your physical condition you can choose from two itineraries. The first itinerary does not require much physical effort since we reach the first viewpoint of the Tunupa Volcano on board the 4x4 vehicle.

The second itinerary demands a lot of physical activity as we will climb the Tunupa Volcano to the top.

1. FIRST ITINERARY - MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The 4x4 vehicle will transport us to a parking lot located near the Chatahuana Lookout.

The access to the viewpoint demands little physical activity, on the way to the viewpoint we will visit the pre-Columbian mummies of Chantani.

From the Chatahuana viewpoint we will appreciate great views of the Salar de Uyuni, some fields of quinoa, llamas and the small lagoon located at the foot of the Tunupa Volcano

Lunch will be provided after descending from the Tunupa Volcano.

We will visit Pia Pia Island, which has some coral caves. This island is ideal for taking good photographs since it is not very visited by tourists.

We will conclude the tour by returning to the city of Uyuni.

2. SECOND ITINERARY - MEDIUM / HIGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The 4x4 vehicle will transport us to a parking lot located near the Chatahuana Lookout.

The access to the viewpoint demands a little physical activity, on the way to the viewpoint we will visit the pre-Columbian mummies of Chantani.

From the Chatahuana Viewpoint we will have great views of the Salar de Uyuni, some fields of quinoa, llamas and the small lagoon located at the foot of the Tunupa Volcano.

We will continue our ascent to the Tunupa Volcano reaching the first viewpoint, the Black, Colorado and White viewpoints; the latter located at the top of the Tunupa Volcano.

During the ascent to the Tunupa Volcano we will observe the crater of the volcano.

We will provide a box lunch during the trip.

We will climb the Tunupa Volcano accompanied by a High Mountain guide.

We will conclude the tour returning to the city of Uyuni.