There are lots of stories about drunk drivers and other issues on the standard salt flats tours from San Pedro de Atacama to Uyuni.  After much research we plumped for Cruz Andina as they had some of the better reviews on Trip Adviser, and the service they provided was professional and well organised, with excellent food and safe driving throughout.

The journey starts with a pick up from our hostel for the 45 kilometres to the border at Hito Cajón. The border is at 4,480 metres so a quick climb of 2,000 metres from San Pedro to altitudes at which much of the next few weeks are to be spent.  The Chilean side of the border is a sealed metal hanger that lets in only one or two vehicles at a time and in usual Chilean fashion is a lengthy affair, even to exit the country.  The Bolivian side a few kilometres up the road is a collection of old shacks, but despite this is a much quicker crossing.  On the Bolivian side we transferred into 4X4 Toyota Land Cruisers for the next three days.

The border crossing is on the foothills of Volcan Licanabur, and has to be one of the most spectacular in the world.  From there our first destination was Laguna Blanca, a partially frozen lake despite the relative high daytime temperatures, though below zero at night.  This lake has a spectacular backdrop of Licanabur and other volcanoes.

Immediately after Laguna Blanca is the first of the multi-coloured lakes of the region, Laguna Verde, which at times lives up to its namesake by being emerald green.  On our visit the green was apparent but not as vibrant as it could be as the sediments were not as disturbed as they could be, as it is these that gives the lake its colour.

From there, the scenery continued to impress with the vast landscape of the Desierto Salvador Dali. The area is named after a group of rock formations standing out from the flat desert floor that resemble some of the surrealist painters work.  Some of the surrounding mountains are in a variety of yellows, oranges and browns making a beautiful multi-coloured backdrop that is hard to envisage using those colours.

The journey then climbed to over 5,000 metres to the Sol de Mañana Geysers, a geothermal area full of pools steaming water and sulphur.  The geysers blow out boiling mud that reaches varying heights throughout the day.  To put the height in context, Mount Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain is only 4,810 metres high.

The final destination of the day was Laguna Colorada, an even more spectacular location.  The lake is deep red due to the algae suspended in it and like the other lakes changes colour throughout the day and in changing weather.  The lake supports a large flock of flamingos including the rare James Flamingo.  The three different types of flamingo all intermingle with each other and form a single multispecies flock.  The lake also has frozen elements despite the daytime temperatures and has a spectacular backdrop of Volcan Pabellon.  The white parts of the lake that contrast with the red are made up of the element of borax.  Adding to the beauty of the location are herds of llamas complete with their ear ribbons that create a natural contrast to the flamingos.

Day 2 took us to eroded Valle de Rocas, which like the area around San Pedro de Atacama consists of large outcrops of rocks and cliffs standing out from the desert floor at varying states of erosion.  One of which is said to resemble the FIFA World Cup, though a likeness can be seen, it does require some imagination.  Nevertheless the rock outcrop is pretty spectacular.

To complete the coloured lagoons, Laguna Negra was our final lagoon before the salt flats.  This lake is very dark and is surrounded by rough cliffs and rocky outcrops.  Herds of llamas also live here.

Our final destination on day 2 was the eyrie settlement of Julaca, an old abandoned railway line that died when the local mining industry closed down.  It has abandoned railway trucks and feels like a desolate post-industrial landscape.

Day 3 took us to the Salinas de Uyuni, but not before witnessing sunrise over the frozen lake adjoining the salt flats.  The sun’s reflection in the frozen water and the ambient white of the salt makes for some spectacular photographs.

From there the 4X4s race and plough their own tracks through the vast salt flats to Isla Inca Huasi a rocky island in the middle of the vast sea of salt.  The island is full of cacti and at the top has an altar to Pachamama the Inca goddess.

The salt flats are vast at 10,582 square kilometres and are at a relative modest 3,656 metres altitude, significantly below the 5,000 metres height of the Reserva de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa.  The white, with the deep blue skies makes this very much a binary coloured landscape and with the bright day sunlight make a very high risk of sun burn.

After the island the tours all stop off to take wacky photographs that play with the varying perspectives the flat white landscape offers.  These include clichéd pictures with toy dinosaurs and other such props.

Our final destination before Uyuni was the train graveyard, where there are many rusting iron hulks of old steam locomotives in varying states of repair all lined up in the desert landscape.  As with Julica these engines have long since been abandoned by the local mining industry.

Date: 04/05/2018 to 06/05/2018