(photo courtesy of Carlos Adampol)

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the world's largest salt desert, or salt flat.

It covers a total area of 10,582 square kilometres, and is located 3650 metres above sea level. 

What's remarkable to the visitor is the how flat the vast area is, with only a 1 metre variation across the entire area. The crust of the flats is sometimes a few metres thick, and its estimated that 50-70% of the world's lithium is located within the Salar de Uyuni. 

The flats themselves are not the only reason people visit the area. There are many unique species that also live there, including the James flamingo, the Bolivian vizcacha, the andean goose, and the culpeo. There's an island in the middle of the desert called Incahuasi, which is covered in giant cacti. 

There also exists a train cemetery, just a few kilometres outside the flats in the town of Uyuni. The railway began there in 1888 but were abandoned sometime in the 1940's. 

When the Salar is covered with a thin layer of water, it takes the appearance of a never-ending mirror. It's one of Bolivia's most popular tourist destinations.