The World's Largest Salt Flat is Nature's Mirror

Salar de Uyuni, or the Uyuni Salt Flat, is located at the crest of the Andes mountains in Bolivia. At over 3,900 square miles, the world's largest salt flat was formed by a prehistoric lake that went dry. Now, this natural marvel is a popular tourist destination.

July 11, 2022

By: Tatum Lenberg

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The Uyuni naturally arranges itself in hexagon formations. The region's natural beauty is one of the many reasons the salt flats welcome more than 300,000 visitors per year.

There are an estimated 11 billion tons of salt at the Uyuni Salt Flats. It is extracted daily to use locally and ship internationally. Some of the table salt you eat could be from Bolivia.

There are 80 species of birds, including three species of flamingo, at Salar de Uyuni.

Along with El Salar de Atacama in Chile and El Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina, Bolivia's El Salar de Uyuni is part of the Lithium Triangle. Together, these salt flats contain 85% of the world's lithium supply. Lithium is an essential part of batteries that power electric vehicles, smartphones, and more.

At times the salt flat is covered in water, making it the largest natural mirror in the world.

GPS satellites are calibrated by reflecting light off of massive surfaces, like the ocean. During rainy season the reflectiveness of the salt flats is more effective at satellite calibration that the ocean's surface.

There is a hotel entirely made from salt blocks cut from the Salar. Even the beds are made of salt!

There are two well-known islands on the salt flats, Isla Incahuasi and Isla el Pescado. The islands are home to giant cacti that can grow up to 32 feet tall. Visitors enjoy these islands as a popular place to watch the sunrise.

Visitors report the sunsets over the reflective surface as being some of the most beautiful in the world.