Salt Flats Salinas Grandes de Jujuy

And then, you see it. At first, it’s just a bright white stripe on the horizon. It seems to spark, and you could think it’s just an illusion. But as you get closer, you realize it’s an never ending, shining, white expanse that stretches endlessly, like an infinitive carpet.

The emptiness of the horizon is interrupted by signs written in Spanish. These are placed by locals (yes, far from the tourist areas, around 6,500 indigenous people live here) who are protesting against lithium mining. Such mining could devastate the landscape and, more importantly, use all of already scarce water reserves that the local communities depend on for survival. Fortunately, large companies have not yet entered the region, but with the current capitalism-oriented President Milei, that could change at any moment.

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_{(up) Natural water reservoirs on the desert
(down) human-made "pools" - traditional way of mining the salt}

While lithium mining poses a significant threat, the locals are more than willing to share the salt flats with harmless salt-producing companies. The desert is big enough for everyone. In one corner of this natural wonder, huge machines extract salt, ensuring that every Argentine household has access to affordable, locally sourced salt. In another corner, indigenous people and locals harvest it in a more traditional manner, just as their ancestors did, by digging long pools filled with water. Once the water evaporates, the salt is collected by hand.

The shapes, colors, and landscapes of the salt flats are constantly changing. One might expect a desert to be a monotonous, white space stretching to the horizon, but that’s far from the case. After rainfall, the Salinas transform into a mirror, perfectly reflecting the mountains and sky in the salty water. On sunny days, the salt forms unusual, intricate patterns that resemble ancient tiles crafted by Mother Nature herself, to decorate this unique corner of our planet. There are also long, artificial pools created by humans, as well as natural water formations similar to small lakes. The minerals in the water have impact for its color—sometimes it’s emerald green, other times a nearly fluorescent light blue.

_{Natural shapes made of salt, formed by the nature}

There is one official entrance to Salinas Grandes. The area is enormous and unfenced, allowing you to stop anywhere along the road, but I recommend using the designated tourist entrance. There, you can pay 12,000 ARS (approximately 10 USD or 83 STEEM at the time of writing) per car for parking. This fee grants you access to bathrooms, souvenir shops selling handmade salt crafts, shaded areas to rest and eat, and, most importantly, a tourist guide (included in the price, tipping is recommended though). Even if you don’t like the idea of the guided tour, paying the fee supports the local community in maintaining the area—keeping it clean, tidy, and accessible to all. Well, except for lithium mining companies. They will never be welcome here.

_{All photos in my publications belong to me, unless marked differently}

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