A quarter the size of the Salar de Uyuni but virtually unvisited, Bolivia’s Salar de Coipasa offers everything that makes its more famous southerly counterpart special – the same blinding white immensity of salt, the same cactus-studded islands and perfect mirror conditions when flooded – but also has the added dimension of almost no other travellers, and the chance to spend time with the Uru Chipaya, South America’s oldest living culture.
"The potential for exploratory adventure is virtually unlimited. Heli-hiking, hot-air balloon flights, mountain biking and more are all possible."
The last surviving remnants of the Tiwanaku civilisation, the Uru Chipaya predate the Inca by thousands of years and today eke out a living by weaving textiles and hunting flamingos on the salt pans. Their beehive houses employ remarkably ancient architectural principles, and their villages are perfectly situated for exploring an almost totally unexplored and singularly beautiful sea of barchan dunes.
We love to include time exploring the Salar de Coipasa and the Uru Chipaya villages as part of an extraordinary off-road adventure across the high desert altiplano from Bolivia to Chile. Travelling by private 4×4, you’ll make your way from the Bolivian capital La Paz down to the Chilean oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, travelling through epic landscapes: past towering volcanoes and multi-coloured lakes, through canyons, geyser fields and surreal stone forests, and across those dazzling salt pans. The potential for exploratory adventure is virtually unlimited. Heli-hiking, hot-air balloon flights, mountain biking and more are all possible.
Nights are spent in stylish low-footprint mountain lodges in remarkable locations. You’ll have hot showers, incredible gourmet dinners and a chance to explore the dazzling night skies through a telescope to look forward to before sinking into your bed each night. Each trip can be customised around your interests, and we can bring in a variety of experts – a photographer, biologist or anthropologist, for example – to enrich your experience. At journey’s end in balmy San Pedro, you’ll be able to sip pisco sours by the pool of Explora’s wonderful Atacama Lodge and reflect on your time exploring the Tibet of South America.
