Bolivia: Salar Uyuni – Isla Incahuasi (Revisitied)

Isla Incahuasi is a stunning place! It is a rocky island in the sea of salt in Salar Uyuni – full of cacti in full bloom and surrounded by dazzling salt. Geologically, Isla Incahuasi is the exposed summit of an ancient volcano dating back around 40,000 years, when the region was submerged under a massive prehistoric lake that eventually evaporated, leaving behind the salt flat. The cacti are truly amazing – Echinopsis Atacamensis – they can reach up to 13m / 40 ft high and branch out looking like frozen people. The white flowers are 10–14 cm (4–5.5 in) in diameter and almost appear plastic, perfectly matching the color of the surrounding white salt. They grow extremely slowly — only about 1 cm per year on average. A 10-meter specimen is likely 800–1,200 years old and many may have started growing before the Inca Empire existed!