T
o acclimatize to the high-altitude city of La Paz, which sits nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, I’d been riding panoramic cable cars with panoramic views of almost a million Bolivians living in a caldera-shaped canyon, surrounded by dramatic mountains. Frequently short of breath but aided by Diamox, after three days I feel ready to delve into one of the planet's most inhospitable landscapes.
Our journey begins along the shores of the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, as we embark on a five-day travesía, connecting two of South America’s most extraordinary landscapes and the harshest regions on Earth: the Salar in Bolivia and Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Together with my husband, Max, and our guide, Andrea, we fly to Uyuni town and start heading north by 4×4, the roof laden with spare fuel and tires. Our journey begins along the shores of the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, as we embark on a five-day travesía, connecting two of South America’s most extraordinary landscapes and the harshest regions on Earth: the Salar in Bolivia and Chile’s Atacama Desert. The Atacama serves as a barrier between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes—a landscape “far worse than the most turbulent ocean,” as Charles Darwin famously described. Just east lies the Andean Altiplano—the largest high plateau outside of Tibet—where conditions are scarcely more welcoming. This remote road trip will span roughly 430 miles, the “roads” mere suggestions of routes winding through this vast and arid high desert.
Historically, Incas in caravans traversed this often-deadly path between Bolivia and Chile, from the mountains to the sea, their llamas laden with military supplies, metals, cocoa, and textiles. Along the way, travelers exchanged languages and cultures. Even today, a journey in this corner of Bolivia feels like a trip back to the Earth’s formative years. Suspended at more than 12,000 feet above sea level, the landscape is a desolate moonscape, punctuated by immense salt flats, barren hills, and lakes splashed with vibrant colors. Volcanoes puff steam like colossal smokestacks, while mud pots bubble and gurgle with sulfurous fumes.
Looking down through the car’s window, I spot hexagonal ridges on the earth’s surface, like paving stones in the planet’s weirdest garden. “What you see is the result of the millennia-long process of evaporation,” Andrea says. “The ground below us is an ancient ocean, drained until a thick salt crust was left above a huge briny sea of lithium.”
I first encountered this region in the summer of 2010 as a battle-hardened backpacker. Now, however, I am experiencing a transformed version of this classic journey, designed by Explora, an adventure hotel brand that skillfully merges comfort with adventure. Their iteration of the trip costs significantly more than my budget-friendly journey of the past—but the comfort level has increased exponentially. Explora has built three exclusive lodges in extremely remote locations along the route, where nearly everything is sourced from Bolivia. The lodges are stilted, so as not to cause too much damage to the land below, and employ local Indigenous workers.
After a few hours of cautious driving and navigating around areas flooded with water, we head to the first of these lodges, Jirira. It stands on a promontory on the far side of a wild expanse, the views so vast and extraordinary that they defy comprehension. Beneath the salt crust, which sticks to my hiking boots, lies an enormous briny ocean believed to hold nearly half of the world’s lithium reserves, and whose extraction threatens the fragile ecosystem. Thankfully, the mining happens far from the invisible road we follow. These 11 billion tons of salt are spread across roughly 4,000 square miles, formed between 40,000 and 25,000 years ago. When it rains (between December and April), the Salar is transformed into the world’s largest mirror. It’s impossible to overstate the grandeur of this site. Its intense brilliance clashes with the sun’s rays at the horizon, creating mirages that resemble floating creatures. I find it impossible to keep my eyes open without my sunglasses.
As we move slowly and stay hydrated, the Travesía never has us below roughly 10,000 feet. On the second day, our hike to the Thunupa volcano viewpoint takes us to an altitude of about 15,000 feet. While we drive through quaint villages, we pass no significant towns, only terraced quinoa fields dotted with scarecrows. The indigenous communities here lead a remote lifestyle, mostly farmers and llama sherpas. Elusive wildlife such as alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas roam the stark mountain plateaus. Explora navigates us through alternative routes to sidestep the backpacker trails that have long defined this Travesía route. We rarely see another vehicle. As the day winds down, we relax in camp chairs with drinks and snacks over sunset—the most spectacular event in the Salar.
The indigenous communities here lead a remote lifestyle, mostly farmers and llama sherpas. Elusive wildlife such as alpacas, llamas, and vicuñas roam the stark mountain plateaus.
On our third day, the crossing pushes us further south, passing through a few mining towns until we reach San Juan, gradually ascending to higher altitudes. Throughout the day, the terrain beneath us shifts repeatedly—sometimes sandy, sometimes shale, and occasionally salt flats. We navigate rocky passages and by evening, we settle in at the remote Chituca Lodge, nestled among towering giant cardon cacti. “It’s three hours away from the nearest town,” Andrea tells us. Outside, the Altiplano dazzles us with an extraordinary sunset, whipped by strong winds. Max captures the scenery with his camera, braving the cold for as long as possible before retreating to the warmth of the cozy lodge.
Over the next two days, we do remote hikes, visit mountain hamlets, traverse areas bordering active volcanoes, and set up picnics in stupendously scenic spots in the profound wilderness of the Altiplano. Witnessing lagoons where flamingos take flight against a surreal backdrop of towering volcanoes feels like stepping onto another planet. Up to 40,000 James’s flamingos—nearly half of the species’ entire population—congregate around Laguna Colorada, at 14,000 feet above sea level. This remarkable shallow salt lake is the most renowned on Bolivia’s Altiplano, and arguably the most spectacular.
As we approach the Chilean border, the majestic Lincancabur volcano looms large on the horizon. The night before reaching Laguna Colorada, we stay at Explora’s Ramaditas Lodge, a cozy, four room eco-shelter perched at 14,000 feet—the final stop of the Travesía and the highest point before descending into Atacama. Nestled at the base of a shale mountain and overlooking another extraordinary flamingo lake, its views are hard to forget.
At night, when I try to fall asleep, I feel my heart racing in the dark, a common sensation at high altitude. This continues until dawn, when I gaze out of my room’s window to find the volcano’s shadow mirrored on the lake below. While I have the urge to return to lower altitudes to settle this sensation, I cannot ignore the unparalleled privilege that traversing from one desert to another provides: an experience that cannot be replicated anywhere else on our planet.
Practical Information
| Destination | Salar de Uyuni & the Bolivian Altiplano |
|---|---|
| Best time to visit | May to November (dry season) — clear skies, passable roads, and the best conditions for photography and stargazing. December to April brings rain, which transforms the Salar into the world's largest mirror — extraordinary, but roads become unpredictable and some routes impassable. The Travesía with Explora runs year-round. |
| Getting there | Fly to La Paz (LPB) first — essential for acclimatisation before heading to altitude. From La Paz, fly to Uyuni (UYU) on a short domestic flight. Explora handles all transfers from Uyuni. Diamox (acetazolamide) is widely recommended for altitude acclimatisation — consult your doctor before travel. |
| Where to stay | The Salar de Uyuni to Atacama crossing is operated exclusively by Explora as a private, all-inclusive Travesía of minimum 7 nights. Three intimate mountain lodges — Jirira (6 rooms, foot of Tunupa Volcano), Chituca (4 rooms, overlooking the salt flat) and Ramaditas (4 rooms, at 14,000ft beside Laguna Colorada) — are designed by Chilean architect Max Núñez to sit lightly on the landscape, stilted and prefabricated, and cannot be booked separately. The journey concludes (or begins) at Explora Atacama in Chile's San Pedro de Atacama. |
| Currency | Bolivian Boliviano (BOB). USD accepted at most hotels and tour operators. Cash essential in remote villages — ATMs unreliable outside La Paz and Uyuni town. |
| Language | Spanish. Quechua and Aymara spoken by indigenous communities throughout the Altiplano. |
| Visa | Visa-free for EU and UK citizens. US citizens require a visa — available on arrival at Uyuni airport or in advance. Australian and Canadian citizens also require advance visas. Check requirements before travel. |
| Notes | The entire route sits above 10,000 feet — acclimatise in La Paz for at least 2–3 nights before departure. The Travesía is a private journey for two people in a dedicated 4WD with an Explora guide and local driver throughout. Do not attempt this route independently without experience of high-altitude off-road driving. Sunglasses are essential on the salt flat. |
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