Salares of Uyuni, Bolivia

We set out heading north through the varicoloured rockscape of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, spending a day and a half exploring the multiple highlights of this UNESCO protected area.

Rightly known for the Seven Coloured Hill of Purmamarca, rising to 4,350m altitude is the lesser known Fourteen Coloured hill at the Serrania de Hornocal, a spectacular limestone depression formed hundreds of millions of years ago. We’ll arrive to see it in the perfect late afternoon light.

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is packed with history: old colonial churches constructed from adobe and cactus wood (including one at Uquia with a rare cuzqueño art collection), a Spanish fort now converted into a museum dedicated to the War of Independence, and pre-Inca ruins at Tilcara. 

We cross the border at La Quiaca into Villazon, Bolivia, a country with an almost entirely indigenous population where you’ll feel a world away from the westernized sophistication of Buenos Aires (or even Salta, for that matter).

Your departure point for a four-day trip to the Salares of Uyuni is Tupiza, a small jewel of a town in the Bolivian lowlands. At 2,850m altitude, it's perfect for acclimatization before your high altitude adventure.

On your 4x4 trip, you will see flamingo-flocked lagoons of myriad colours, spitting geysers, the strange rock formations of Arbol de Piedra, and the oasis-like Isla del Pescado before arriving at the legendary Bolivian salt flats: the biggest and highest in the world: the Salares of Uyuni. Pure white salt meets blue sky as far as the eye can see: a truly unforgettable experience.

Our partners in Tupiza can arrange private tours finishing in San Pedro de Atacama if you want to travel on through Chile or return to Salta that way. They also do group tours finishing in Uyuni if you are heading further north towards La Paz and Peru.

Bear in mind that this is a gruelling journey in which you will be reaching altitudes of 4,000 meters above sea level: and accommodation in the Salaries can be quite basic. Sunglasses, sunscreen and loads of warm clothes are essential.

Read our guide to the Salares of Uyuni here.