Uyuni, Salt Flats, Volcanoes, Lagoons and Flamingos

Beschrijving van de reis

Accommodatie

Programma van het verblijf

• dag 1

  Uyuni - Salt Flats

  

  Welcome to Uyuni! If your flight arrives before 10:30 a.m.*, the guide will pick you up from Uyuni Airport and take you to the office for last-minute instructions. We begin this tour by visiting the train cemetery on the outskirts of Uyuni, which features many abandoned locomotives—evidence of Bolivia's mining boom era. Then we move on to Colchani, where you can see how locals extract and refine salt, as well as visit kiosks selling salt handicrafts. The journey continues until we reach a place where you can observe the "Eyes of the Salt," holes formed by water bubbles emerging from underground rivers that originate from the Tunupa Volcano and other mountains surrounding the salt flat. Once inside the salt flat, we will pass by what was the first hotel built with salt blocks, known as --Playa Blanca--, now converted into a small museum. The journey continues to Incahuasi Island, located in the center of the Uyuni Salt Flat, where you can admire giant cacti and enjoy a panoramic view of the entire salt flat and its surroundings. Transfer back to your accommodation. (B, L) *If your flight arrives after 10:30 a.m., you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your hotel.

• dag 2

  Salt Flats - Altiplano Lagoons

  

  

  

  After breakfast, the journey continues. The first stop is a viewpoint located at Paso León, where the Ollagüe Volcano can be seen. Next, the high plateau lagoons Cañapa, Hedionda, Chiarcota, Honda, and Ramadita are visited. At these lagoons, three types of flamingos can be found: the Puna Flamingo, the Andean Flamingo, and the Chilean Flamingo. Lunch is taken along the way, and then the Siloli Desert is crossed, where several natural monuments shaped by the wind can be observed, including the famous Stone Tree. You will enter the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and continue on to Laguna Colorada. This area is generally quite windy and cold; if desired, you can walk along the shores of this unique lagoon to observe the hundreds of flamingos of the three species that inhabit it. There is also the possibility of observing more Andean wildlife, such as vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, and the suri (Andean rhea). Later, we will arrive at other natural attractions of the Eduardo Avaroa RNFA, such as the Sol de Mañana geysers. As the tour continues, we will visit natural hot spring pools with ideal temperatures for bathing, where we can relax for a while. (B, L, D)

• dag 3

  Laguna Colorada - Laguna Verde - Uyuni (or San Pedro de Atacama)

  

  

  

  Departure is in the morning after breakfast, passing through the Salvador Dalí Desert, where you can observe strange rock formations caused by wind erosion over thousands of years. Afterwards, we will stop at Laguna Verde and Laguna Blanca, both located at the base of Licancabur Volcano. If you have a transfer to San Pedro de Atacama*, your journey will continue by crossing the Bolivia-Chile border. The rest of the group continues the trip, returning to Uyuni and traveling along the Valley of the Rocks route. (B) *There is an additional cost for the transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, on a shared service. Prices include: guide (English-Spanish), shared transportation (5 tourists, guide, driver; total 7 people), accommodation for 2 nights (private room with private bath; double, twin, or triple room), and meals included as described in the itinerary (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner). Not included: airplane/bus tickets La Paz-Uyuni-La Paz, hotel in Uyuni, single supplement US$ 68.00, entrance fee to Eduardo Avaroa Reserve US$ 22.00 (Bs 150.00) and Isla Incahuasi (US$ 5.00 or Bs 30.00), transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, personal expenses (toilets on the way, water, hot spring fee, and others), alcoholic drinks, sodas, travel insurance, medical insurance, and tips. Notes: • The Uyuni Salt Flat is located at 3,656 m (11,995 ft) and the Siloli Desert at 4,530 m (14,862 ft) above sea level. • The average daytime temperature is 21 °C (70 °F). However, at night, between May and August, it can drop to between -9 °C and 5 °C (16 °F and 41 °F). In recent years, it has snowed and been very windy during these months. The rainy season is from January to March. • For those planning to make a direct connection to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile), on the third day of the tour after Laguna Verde, transfers are only possible in the morning. • Please note that strong winds may occur between April and September. Temperatures can drop below 0 °C. If there is a snowstorm, due to travel conditions and authorities' recommendations, we may need to change your itinerary. If you have a transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, there may be an additional charge. • This itinerary may also change during the rainy season (January to March), when the Salar de Uyuni floods. • The tour runs on dirt roads, and sometimes there can be a lot of dust. • Due to nature conservation objectives, within the Eduardo Avaroa RNFA, the accommodation infrastructure is basic.