Train Cemetery (Uyuni Railway Scrap Yard)
Cementerio de Trenes
On the wasteland outside Uyuni town, more than a hundred rusted steam locomotives and carriages lie abandoned. They bear witness to the rise and fall of Bolivia's mining railways in the late 19th century.
From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, a British company built a railway linking the Bolivian highland mining areas with the Pacific port of Antofagasta. Uyuni was an important hub and locomotive maintenance base. After the mining industry declined in the 1940s, many locomotives were abandoned on wasteland about 3 kilometers outside town. Wind, sand and salt rusted them a reddish brown, creating today's 'Train Cemetery.' Visitors can climb onto the carriages and frame photos between the boilers and wheels. Many of the train bodies are covered in graffiti. Almost every day trip to the salt flats makes this the first stop, and it is crowded between 10 and 11 a.m. For empty, uncrowded photos, visit before sunset by taxi or on foot (about 40 minutes). Admission is free, and there are no fences. Caution: The metal edges are sharp and corroded, so be careful not to cut yourself while climbing. Wear gloves. The wind and sand are strong, so protect your camera lens.
Opening hours
All day, free
Nearby sights
- Uyuni Town
- Pulacayo
- Colchani
- Ojos del Salar
- Salt Hotels & Dakar Monument
- Isla Incahuasi
- Salar de Uyuni (Mirror of the Sky)
- Tunupa Volcano & Coqueza