Bolivia's Salt Mines

Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, measuring over 4,000 square miles was recently listed as one of the 25 wonders of the world, alongside better known attractions like the Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon and Great Wall of China. Stretched like a shimmering carpet amidst two distant Andean Peaks, the salt flat is home to pink flamingos, 1,000-year old cacti and rare hummingbirds.

The Salar de Uyuni was formed 40,000 years ago when Lake Minchin, a prehistoric lake dried up leaving behind two smaller lakes, the Uru Uru and the Poopo and two salt flats. Estimated to contain over 10 billion tons of salt, it is not only the world's largest salt flat, but at 3,700 meters above sea level, also the world's highest.

For the longest time, the flats were just used by the locals for mining salt. However, in the last few years they have been discovered by tourists, who are now flocking to the area in droves to see the amazing sight.

Last year over 60,000 people visited the salt flats, braving a grueling 300 km journey on unpaved roads from La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. This year, thanks to a new private airline that will fly directly to the region, even more people are expected to visit.

While the salt mines are fascinating, even more amazing are the structures, which are made out of salt - and that includes not only the hotels but also, all the furniture inside. Even the new airport building is made utilizing the sodium bricks.

The Salar de Uyuni is a semi-desert and therefore the climate here is very severe, with the days being extremely hot and nights extremely cold. The best time to visit is during the winter months, between July and November, when it is dry. During the rainy season the salt plains retain water making the area almost impassable.

People who have visited the region say it's the most amazing thing they have ever experienced. After seeing the pictures and the video, we are inclined to agree. What do you think? Be sure to add your comments below!

Sources: adventure-life.com,virtualtourist.com