Uyuni, Transportation hub in Potosí Department, Bolivia.
Description
Uyuni is a small town in southwestern Bolivia that serves as a starting point for tours to the nearby salt flat. Streets run in a grid pattern, low buildings with flat roofs line the roads, and corrugated metal shacks stand beside dusty tracks at the town edge.
History
The town was founded in 1889 when railway lines were built through this region to carry minerals from mines in the Andes to Pacific ports. Mining declined in the 20th century, leading to the closure of many tracks.
Culture
The name comes from a war hero, Avelino Aramayo, also called Colonel, whose family worked in mining. Travelers today see quinoa fields near town and watch llamas used as pack animals in the dry surroundings.
Practical
The place sits at 3700 meters (12,140 feet) elevation, so visitors should take time to adjust to the thin air. Accommodations and restaurants are found in the town center, where tour agencies organize trips to the surrounding area.
Did you know?
Outside the town lies a graveyard of old steam locomotives that were simply left standing on the tracks after mining declined. Some still carry signs showing their original destinations, while the wind slowly scours paint from the metal.
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Uyuni Railway Scrap Yard
2.4 kmPublic Clock of Uyuni
11 mBarco
15.6 km0-4-0T
15.6 kmCine Teatro Luis Maria Sola Pulacayo
15.5 kmDakar Bolivia
45 mMetal Art Uyuni
2.5 kmTorre del Reloj de Uyuni
11 mStatue, Work of art
115 mWork of art, bust
62 mWork of art, sculpture
15.1 kmScenic viewpoint
7.4 kmScenic viewpoint
13.4 kmScenic viewpoint
12.4 kmScenic viewpoint
13.1 kmScenic viewpoint
15.5 kmTorre del Reloj de Uyuni
24 mMuseo de Trenes
2.4 kmMirador de Uyuni
12.1 kmTender locomotive, tourist attraction, locomotive
162 mTender locomotive, tourist attraction, locomotive
153 mRailway carriage
15.2 kmTourist attraction, railway carriage
161 mRailway carriage
15.2 kmTourist attraction, railway carriage
15.4 kmTourist attraction, railway carriage
136 mRailway carriage, tourist attraction
152 mTourist attraction, railway carriage
143 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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