Bolivian adventures: From Tupiza to Uyuni in 4 days

The decision to visit the Uyuni Salt Flat on a jeep tour from Tupiza rather than Uyuni was probably my best on the whole trip.

First, the Tupiza trips are 4 days and 3 nights long while the Uyuni trips are shorter at 3 days and 2 nights, meaning one sees more of the Western-inspired landscapes around Tupiza. Second, Uyuni jeeps are reportedly absolutely stuffed with travellers, fitting 6 people in an 8-seater car, while Tupiza companies top the number at 5 (I was also able to pay extra to end up in a jeep with only 3 other travellers). Third, since Tupiza travellers are heading in the opposite direction from the Uyuni crowds, the arrival times to some (not all) sights of interest are different. And, finally, Tupiza tours visit the Uyuni salt flat in the better light at sunrise while Uyuni tours get there during the day – as you can imagine, the resulting experience is very different.

TUPIZA TO UYUNI: DAY 2 ~ DESIERTO DE DALI, LAGUNA VERDE, SOL DE MAÑANA

The morning started with a frustratingly long argument between Jorge and the villagers, who blocked the road and insisted we pay extra to pass – fairly illegal by all standards, but we had no choice but to pay in the end. We were then off to Laguna Kollpa, a lake with massive borax deposits which the locals use as detergent, and Desierto de Dali, a desert whose shapes and colours resemble Dali’s paintings. We had lunch on the shores of the impossibly turquoise Laguna Verde and enjoyed a soak in the thermal springs nearby (which came in especially handy for the lack of showers in that night’s accommodation), before continuing to Sol de Mañana geothermal field. The highlight of the day was our final stop: Laguna Colorada, an orange coloured lake dotted with thousands of flamingos. We spent the night in the Villamar village nearby.

Arsenic and other minerals in Laguna Verde (“Green Lake”) define the lake’s unusual colour; the volcano in the backdrop is called Licancabur and is shared between Bolivia and Chile

TUPIZA TO UYUNI: DAY 3 ~ ITALIA PERDIDA, LAGUNA NEGRA, CHUVICA

Today was less about lakes and more about interesting rocks. We visited three fascinating rock formations, all with pretty cool names: Copa del Mundo, Camello and Italia Perdida, before taking a walk around Laguna Negra (which, surprisingly, did not look black). We then admired a dizzying look into the deep Anaconda canyon and listened to our own heartbeat in the virtually entirely abandoned village of Julaca. After parking our backpacks in Chuvica village for the night, we ended the day watching a stunning sunset on the corner of Uyuni Salt Flat – our first glimpse of this stunning landmark.

TUPIZA TO UYUNI: DAY 4 ~ ISLA INCAHUASI, COLCHANI, UYUNI

The last day of our trip started at 5am as we drove off into sheer darkness to watch the sun rise over the Uyuni Salt Flat from Isla Incahuasi. I was certainly looking forward to breakfast at the foot of the Isla when the sun eventually did rise! We took hundreds of hilarious photos (“fotos locos”, as they are affectionately known here) playing with odd perspective in the salt flat. The day continued with lazy visits to Hotel de Sal and “Ojos de Sal” (outlets for subterranean rivers flowing under the Uyuni Salt Flat). We made a souvenir stop at Colchani village and ended the tour in Uyuni town around 2pm.

After saying goodbye to Jorge and Valentina, my companions went off to have long showers in their hotel. Impossibly jealous, I instead waited for my jeep transfer to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Another shower-less night in the middle of the Bolivian Altiplano was not something I was particularly excited about. My beloved Chile was only one night’s sleep away though… but that is a different story altogether.