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| Sucre, Potosí and Magic Uyuni |
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5 days / 3 nights
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-Lodging in hotels or 3-star guest houses
-Continental breakfast
-Sucre City Tour
-Visit to the Cal Orckó Dinosaur Prints
-Visit to the Tarabuco Sunday market
-Visit to the Colonial Hacienda, La Candelaria
-Visit to La Candelaria Community with its rustic houses
-Full day Potosí City tour
-Visit to a cooperative mine
-Two-day tour to the town of Uyuni
-Visit to the world’s largest salt flat, the Uyuni
-Visit to a salt processing plant
-Tour of Fish Island in the Uyuni Salt Flat
-Demonstration of the Pujllay carnival dance
-Demonstration
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Candelaria Tours
 591-4-6461661
 591-1-6460289
 catur@mara.scr.entelnet.bo
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With the city of Uyuni (Potosí) as its starting point, the circuit proceeds northeastward toward the Uyuni Salt Flat until it reaches Colchani, a town devoted to small-scale salt mining. Here, one begins to feel the imposing presence of the world’s largest salt desert. The Uyuni Salt Flat (3 663 masl) is ten times the area of Hong Kong or one-fifth again as large as the island of Puerto Rico. The flat is estimated to contain 64 billion tons of salt, together with minerals like lithium, potassium, boron and magnesium. Visitors to this spot must wear protective warm clothing, sun block and sunglasses.
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Access |
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The city of Uyuni can be reached by train from Villazón and Oruro or by road, using one of the bus companies, from the cities of La Paz, Potosí and Sucre. There are more than 22 local companies, as well as travel agencies in Potosí and La Paz that offer tours of the region. If you want to tour the Uyuni Salt Flat please register with the Uyuni Prefecture or Mayor’s Office.
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Tourist Attractions |
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 Uyuni Salt Flat
The Uyuni Salt Flat (3 663 masl) covers an approximate area of 10 500 km2, ten times the size of Hong Kong or one-fifth again as large as the island of Puerto Rico. The landscape in the salt flat is similar to that of the Polar regions, where white and blue come together and their reflections create images of inverted mountains on the horizon. The trip through the salt flat continues for about 72 km to the vicinity of the Colchane military port on the way to the town of San Juan and from there to the entry to the “Eduardo Avaroa” National Preserve for Andean Fauna.
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 Eduardo Avaroa National Preserve for Andean Fauna (REA)
The preserve, with an area of 714 745 hectares, is located southwest of the Department of Potosí in the Province of Sud Lípez. The average altitude in the preserve is 4 000 masl and its climate ranges from a dry winter (May - August) to a rainy summer (December – April). The terrain is uneven, with extensive plains and plateaus flanked to the west by a chain of volcanoes (Western Cordillera) and deeply folded to the west. The vegetation consists largely of grassy pastureland (paja brava) and tholares and keñua can be found there. The fauna is characterized by the presence of unique species, some in danger of extinction, that adapted to the extreme living conditions in the region. The three species of flamingos (Andean, Chilean and James) give the preserve its unique character.
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 Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon)
This is the most important site in the region for watching flamingos; it has the largest population in all of the Parina and the three species congregate here. The lagoon is located at a height of 4 278 masl, its surface is approximately 60 km2 and its waters, of a color that is most unusual, are about 35 cm deep. The most representative mammals of the region are also present –the vicuña, the viscacha and the llama. There are tourist lodgings near the lagoon.
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 Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon)
Located at the southernmost end of the Preserve, the Green Lagoon has a surface of 17 km2 and is divided into two bodies of water. The lagoon is an emerald green color because of the high magnesium content of its waters. Next to the lagoon, the Licanbur volcano rises to 5 868 masl, offering the opportunity for mountain climbing and walks.
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 Sol de Mañana
South of the Red Lagoon, on the way to the Chalviri Salt Flat, this volcano covers an area of 1 km2 and is known for its intensive volcanic and fumarolic activity. Its craters are filled with boiling lava, while its fumaroles eject water and hot vapor into the air at heights of between 80 and 100 meters. The landscape brings to mind the earth’s formation.
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 Isla Pescado (Fish Island)
Fish Island lies in the heart of the salt flat and can be reached in a 10-hour trip. It is the largest island in a group possessing the ecosystem of an isolated oasis in the salt flat. It is inhabited by a large number of cacti, each more than 8 meters tall. This landscape, combined with the salt flat makes it a special favorite of photography enthusiasts.
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