Experience – Colchani, Bolivia.

• Address: Colchani, Bolivia (Google Maps)
• Hours: All Day
• Recommended Time: 1 hour
• How to Arrive: By car
• Distance from Uyuni: 22 km / 13.67 miles
• Ideal Month(s): November – March

Sitting in between the town of Uyuni and the neighboring Salar de Uyuni salt flats lies the quaint salt-processing village of Colchani. The tiny town of just over 600 people is home to Bolivia’s largest salt-processing cooperative.

The Salar de Uyuni contains an estimated 10 billion tonnes of salt, with an impressive 25,000 tonnes of it excavated and processed through Colchani per year. Tourists stopping in Colchani can see handicrafts made of salt, and textile art made of llama and alpaca. Most tours also include a visit to a traditional salt factory where a local will teach you the process of extraction and refinement of salt.