Pulacayo
A century-old silver mining town about 20 km east of Uyuni. Abandoned steam locomotives, mine shafts, and workers' housing record the rise and fall of Bolivian mining.
Pulacayo is about 20 km east of Uyuni. In the 19th century it was one of South America's most important silver mines, and Bolivia's first railway also began here. After the mines declined, most residents left, leaving empty streets, factory buildings, and old steam locomotives. The small railway museum displays several antique locomotives, and one of them is said to have been robbed by the American outlaw Butch Cassidy. You can also go down into the mine with a local guide. It is a 30-minute taxi ride from Uyuni, or you can hire a car for a half-day trip.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Uyuni Town
- Train Cemetery (Uyuni Railway Scrap Yard)
- Colchani
- Ojos del Salar
- Salt Hotels & Dakar Monument
- Isla Incahuasi
- Salar de Uyuni (Mirror of the Sky)
- Tunupa Volcano & Coqueza