When to Visit the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia

The best time to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats depends on whether you want to capture the mirror effect during the rainy season or see the hexagons and pentagons of crusted salt during the dry season. Read on to learn more.

Amazing sunset at the Uyuni Salt Flats of Bolivia during the rainy season

RAINY SEASON (Nov. – March):

The wet season usually begins in November and ends in March. Many people visit the Uyuni Salt Flats during the rainy season because it becomes an expansive mirror that reflects the changing colors of

A walk among the clouds as the sky reflects off the Salar

of the sky at all hours of the day. Images of people captured on the wet salt flats can fool one into believing they are walking among the clouds.

The scenery is so beautiful and breathtaking, that many people travel halfway across the world to get married, barefoot, on the Uyuni Salt Flats. Many others believe that walking knee-deep in water on the Salar has therapeutic effects and even mystical significance.

The only drawbacks during this season are that it is not possible to visit Incahuasi Island on the Salar, home to giant cacti and a great place from which to admire the Uyuni Salt Flats. It is difficult to travel in this wet terrain, so distances are shorter, and the island is off limits. Also, the rainy season is considered the high season, so it is more expensive for travelers, although well worth it.

5 Day Uyuni Tour Package

DRY SEASON (April–Oct.):

The dry season begins in April and ends in October. During this period, travelers will experience the whiteness and flatness of the salt flats at their fullest. Here you will better appreciate the salt piles on the landscape and the

Hexagons & pentagons naturally form on the terrain

“ojos del salar” or mineralized water springs bursting from the ground. Travelers will also be able to see the hexagon-shaped terrain of the Salar, a natural phenomenon caused by water evaporation.

Perhaps the main reason why many choose this time of the year to visit the Uyuni Salt Flats is that the Salar is a perfect spot to play with proportion and perspective in pictures because of its natural flatness and amazing location. People get pretty creative with their props, and the pictures become a fun way to capture their amazing adventure in the highlands of Bolivia.

Regardless of when you visit, the Uyuni Salt Flats are a special spot on earth that will both inspire you and leave you in awe. Write to us at sales@intensebolivia.com to start planning your trip.

Looking for a camping experience in the Salar? Check out our camping experience here.

WHAT ARE THE UYUNI SALT FLATS?

The Uyuni Salt Flats make up the world’s largest and highest salt desert. At nearly 12,000 square kilometers (7,456 sq. mi), it is located in southwest Bolivia, at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft.). The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, and possesses an extraordinary flatness.

There are two marked seasons in the Salar. The wet season and the dry season. Both equally dramatic yet offering very different ways to experience this magical place.