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TravelTips24 : South America : Bolivia : Uyuni

Uyuni

Uyuni is in Bolivia, South America.

Culture and History

Uyuni a small town situated in the middle of nowhere. It originally blossomed as a railroad junction, and even if this is still an important aspect, no doubt is tourism now its main source of prosperity. What would otherwise be a fairly dull stopover en route between Salta, Argentina and La Paz or Potosi, has become absolutely mandatory on this leg of the gringo trail. Sole reason: Salt flats, -the world´s biggest that is. (See Salar de Uyuni).

Travel to Uyuni & Visa Requirements

Plan to arrive a day or two before you intend to depart on a salt flat tour, especially if there are only 2 of you. That gives the chance to meet other travellers, thus a larger group has more bargaining power for the 'daily rate'.

Buses to Uyuni

You will need 12-15 hours from La Paz, by bus. The bus ride can be bitterly cold in winter - travellers have been known to sit in their sleeping bags on the night bus from Oruro to Uyuni. With two exceptions (Todo Tourist Bus and Panamerica Sur) you must change buses in Oruro to get to La Paz. Buses to Oruro/La Paz are often booked up in advance - you likely need to book at least the day before, several days if you wish to take the comfortable tourist bus or one of the better bus companies - best to do this before going on a Southwest Circuit tour (if coming from San Pedro de Atacama, be prepared to spend a night in Uyuni and have little choice of bus company).

There are several buses daily to and from Potosí (6-7 hours, 30 Bs.), from there you can go one to Sucre (3-4 hours more).

Many daily departures around 5:30 - 6:00 AM for Tupiza, stopping halfway for lunch in Atocha, 7-8 hours, 60 Bs. Three days a week there are 9 AM departures, and occasionally a Land Cruiser departs 6-7 PM, -ask around. Although the train is definitely smoother, and somewhat faster, this bus ride offers terrific views.

By train

Trains run south to Villazon on the Argentinian border, stopping in Tupiza and Atocha. Northbound trains go to Oruro. Less frequent and less comfortable departures to Calama, Chile.

By car

You can also rent a car in La Paz and drive.

Tours & Getting around Uyuni

All walkable.

Uyuni attractions and sightseeing

  • Museo de Arqueologia y Antropologia, Arce(Half a block from the clock tower). Quite a few skulls and a handfull of mummies, plus some less exciting stuff.Bs 2,50.  edit
  • Despite its modest site and geographical isolation, Uyuni is worth an hour or so walking around. Particularly the Avenida Ferroviaria has many monuments, mostly railroad related.
  • Allegedly Bolivia´s first locomotive, stands in th emiddle of Avenida Ferroviario, by the corner of Calle Santa Cruz.
  • Train Graveyard - a couple of km south of town, by the railway to Chile, there are dozens of old, rusted locomotives, a few wagons and some other rubbish. Usually a stop on salt flat trips.

Uyuni city tours

The salt flats, Salar de Uyuni, can be visited on daytrips, or longer trips, up to 4 days, including a swipe down towards the Chilean border and the lagoon and geysirs of that area.

Uyuni souvenirs & shopping

  • Several blocks of the main street Avenida Potosi turns in to an open air market, selling a bit of everything, including loads of handicraft.

Uyuni Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • For a cheap lunch (10Bs for soup and main) head for any little joint with the sign Almuerzo outside.
  • Minuteman Pizza - Ferroviaria 60, Uyuni, 591 2 (693 3186) [1] Hours: Breakfast 7:30-10am , Dinner 5-10pm Within the Tonito Hotel, backpackers congregate here in the evenings (note that locals may not be allowed). Large variety of pizzas (including spicy llama), great breakfast, English-speaking owner, travel-book library. From 30 Bs for an individual pizza.
  • Pub-Pizzeria-Restaurant ARCOIRIS – Avenida Arce 27, Uyuni, 591 2 (693 3177) [2]; English / Italian - speaking owner ( Willma ); Hours: 3-12 pm; Pizza & Pasta (Italian taste), typical local plates, some time live music.

Uyuni nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

  • Have a beer during daytime at the shack right next to the clock tower.

Uyuni cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Hotel Julia(Hotel Julia), Corner of Ferroviario and Arce(One block from clock tower), [3]. Prices rise by 25% in high season (winter). You can book online on www.hoteluyuni.comSingle, shared bat, 60 Bs.  edit
  • Tonito Hotel, Ferroviaria 60, Uyuni, 591 2 (693 3186) [4] THE "high-end" hotel in town. Rooms are situated around an internal atrium area. Clean rooms, electric-heated showers, transportation from train station available, book ahead in the high season. Room heater available for rent for $3 US. 19 rooms. Breakfast Included. Double with private bathroom, $35 US.
  • Hostal Sajama, Potosí 35, 693-3099. Cheap place with basic clean rooms. Single with shared / private bathroom Bs.25 / Bs.40. NOTE! On May 30, 2007, two Canadian students visiting Uyuni were found dead in their rooms at this hostal due to carbon-monoxide poisoning from their gas heater. [5]
  • Hotel Avenida, Ferroviaria 11, 693-2078 [6], clean and inexpensive in the town center, near tour operators. Only two hot showers, but the door to one is often locked. Double/Matrimonial 50Bs (U$S 7), with bath 100Bs (U$S 14).

Beware of the cheap hostels near the bus offices. If you arrive in the early morning these places will charge you a full night for your stay until 12pm (noon).

Cope

  • There is now a Banco Credito ATM in Uyuni, on Calle Potosí. Prodem gives cash advances on mastercard or Visa creditcards with a 5% commission. You can get cash out of an ATM indoors at a bank with Maestro
  • There are several casas de cambios to change travellers' checks or dollars, euros, Chilean pesos or Argentinean pesos. If you are heading to Chile, get rid of your bolivianos, as the exchange rate on the other side is much worse.
  • One of a handful of laundries, Laundry Huila Khota at Av Ferroviaria 257 (by the homonymous hotel), has same-day service at 8 Bs per kilo.
  • The cheapest internatinal phone calls seem to be at Call Shop Uyuni, Av. Arce, 30 metres from the clock tower. Bs 2,50 to most of the world. Internet here is expensive, though, at 6 Bs an hour.
  • Get the exit/entry stamps you need at the immigration office at Potosí and Sucre.
  • There are several slow internet places for around 5 Bs. per hour.

Get out

  • Salar de Uyuni - with over twelve thousand square kilometers, is the largest salt flat in the world. It can be done as a daytrip, or with a few overnights, often combined with the lagoons and geysirs closer to the Chilean border. Instead of returning to Uyuni, you can opt for San Pedro de Atacama or Tupiza.

If you plan to go Chile, you can get transport onwards to San Pedro de Atacama instead of return to Uyuni. The price should be the same. Remember to get an exit stamp in Immigration Office in Uyuni (the date on the stamp is the expected exit day, so you may get Chilean entry stamp with earlier date).

Some tour operators:

  • Swiss Bolivian Adventures http://www.andes-bolivia.ch/ingles/salar.html Offer tours to Uyuni from La Paz and can arrange connections to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) Contact them at: Handal Center, ground floor, Of.6 just in front of the main Post Office in Av. Mariscal Santa Cruz, near to San Francisco Square La Paz(005912 2406470)
  • Lincancabur Tours , Sucre 68, 02-693-2996 (lincancatour@hotmail.com), offers 4 day tours which end in Tupiza. The official price is 120/150 US$ in low/high season, but they will go for cheaper as well.
  • Natour, Uyuni, Calle Colón 445 between Sucre and Camacho, T 591-2-6933287, http://www.uyuni.com.bo/uyuni/index.php?lang=en Organize tours to Uyuni Salt-Flat, Laguna Colorada, and National Park Eduardo Avaroa. Look the google map with all the attractions marked.
  • Terra Andina Bolivia [7], offer tours from 2 to 7 days to Uyuni with different options (Uyuni, Laguna Colorada, Laguna Verde, Tunupa,...)

This page was last edited at 20:08, on 10 November 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Alice K, Marius Mollersen, wayne rice, Daniel Cowan, Colin Jensen, David and Erland Lewin, Wikitravel user(s) Geronimo, Episteme and Cacahuate, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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