Uyuni

Uyuni is a city in the southwest of Bolivia. It is known as a gateway for tourists visiting the world's largest salt flats, called the nearby Salar de Uyuni. Every year, around 60,000 visitors from all over the world come to see these amazing salt flats.

The city was founded in 1890 as a trading post and has grown to a population of about 29,672 people, according to a census in 2012. Uyuni sits at the edge of a wide plain, about 3,700 meters (12,139 feet) above sea level, with mountains to the east.

Besides being a tourist spot, Uyuni also helps with trade and travel between Bolivia and Chile. There is a customs and immigration post in the city center. The area around Uyuni is good for growing quinoa and raising animals like llamas and sheep. The city also has a big street market where people can shop and explore.

Transport

Uyuni is an important place for transportation. It has a major railway junction where four lines meet, coming from La Paz through Oruro, from Calama in Chile, from Potosí, and from Villazón near the border with Argentina.

The city can also be reached by road from Oruro to La Paz, Sucre, Villazón (the border with Argentina), and Ollagüe in Chile. Flights are available through the Joya Andina Airport, with two local airlines, Amazonas and Transporte Aéreo Militar, flying in from La Paz, Sucre, and Rurrenabaque.

Tourist attractions

Train cemetery

One of the big places people like to visit near Uyuni is an old train cemetery. It is about 3 kilometers away from the city and you can get there using old train tracks. Long ago, this town helped send trains full of minerals to ports on the Pacific Ocean. The train lines were built by engineers from Britain in the late 1800s. They were invited by companies that wanted to help Bolivia grow. Building the trains started in 1888 and finished in 1892. The trains were mostly used by mining companies. But when the mining industry fell apart in the 1940s, many trains were left behind, creating the train cemetery. Some people think it would be great to turn this place into a museum.

Images

• Av. Ferroviaria, Uyuni.

• Av. Ferroviaria, Uyuni.

• Estación de ferrocarriles, Uyuni.

• Estación de ferrocarriles, Uyuni.

• Uyuni salt flat.

• Isla del Pescado.

• The clock tower.

• Dance parade in the streets of Uyuni.

Climate

See also: Rainy season in the Altiplano

Uyuni has a cold desert climate, which means it is very dry and cool. The summers are mild, but the winters can get quite cold. Even during the warmer months, nights tend to stay chilly.