Update to the excellent (!) pdf of tour.tk on Salar de Uyuni and classic Laguna Route Excellent waypoints are available from betzgi.ch Uyuni San Juan (2 days) Day 1: Uyuni Isla Incahuasi The way out of Uyuni is being currently paved. Therefore you ll have the road to yourself until Colchani since cars cannot enter at the moment. As of late October, the salt flat was bone dry except the first 1km coming from Colchani, but I guess a day of heavy rain and you won t be able to enter any more. At isla incahuasi you can camp, get water and there is also a restaurant. Make sure to sign the cyclist guest book which the old lady provides. Day 2: Isla Incahuasi San Juan The first 40km are salt flat and depending on the wind easy cycling. Just the last 5km of the salt flat are a bit rough. After leaving the salar the road is really bad and rocky. There are plenty of shortcuts through the smaller salars, which seem to be the smarter choice in times of dry weather. Nevertheless you will have to push a couple of times. Once you join the main road from Uyuni to San Juan the road is rideable, but rocky and we had horrible headwinds and arrived late in San Juan. San Juan has shops, hostals and restaurants (in the hostals), but everything is ridiculously expensive, so you might bring everything from Uyuni (also expensive, but less!). Laguna Route: San Juan San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) (8 days) Day 1: San Juan 25km after the military camp Chiguana
After San Juan the road was extremely good (almost paved) 30km until Chiguana. That said, it looked like a day of rain would change it all into a muddy disaster. To get to the military camp you will have to leave the main jeep tracks after about 25km or you might continue to Avaroa. I guess the scenery there would be similar. An Italian couple we met did both and they said, Avaroa is the smarter choice. In Chiguana you can refill water at the military camp the soldiers are really nice and friendly. After the military camp it is another 15km of easy flat riding and good surface (when dry conditions). Then begins the climb. The first dry river valley with a shelterish structure is after about 3km of climbing (pushing your bike through 20cm of sand rather). The second dry river valley with a much better shelter is after about 8km of climbing in total (still pushing your bike through 20cm of sand). Even going the other way (downhill) this road is no fun. Until the top it is almost exclusively pushing, so consider following the main jeep tracks until Avaroa and then continue south on the international road. Day 2: 25km after the military camp Chiguana Laguna Hedionda From the second shelter you ll push another 3km until the slope is gentler and you can actually ride about 5kms. Then it is a downhill to the international road, which is so sandy, you ll push at least 50%. The scenery is pretty nice, but once again, to avoid this go via Avaroa where you ll have a lot more jeeps, but less sand. The 8km on the international road are easy cycling and you ll pass a rocky site which all the jeep tourist stop at for lunch. After the turnoff southwards the road deteriorates and you ll push another 4km uphill. From there it is not far to Laguna Cabaña, but the road is so sandy, you ll end up pushing a lot.
Laguna Cabana and Hedionda are both incredibly beautiful. There are options which miss those lagunas, but I would not choose them. From Laguna Cabaña to Hedionda it is another 8km or so of PURE PUSHING expect 2 hours or more. Everybody who tells you he rode this stretch is a liar (or the proud owner of a ridiculously fat bike). At Laguna Hedionda you can stay at the hotel (120 Bs! per person), or camp and get dinner (40 Bs very tasty, but not plenty), or breakfast (20Bs good!). They have wifi 1 hour in the evening, the password is f1amenco. They will also refill your water bottles, but the water is pretty saline, so either mix it with fresh water or use it for cooking only. I guess you could drink it in case of emergency Noteworthy is, that other cyclists were offered to sleep for free in the restaurant when they asked to pitch the tent outside. Day 3: Laguna Hedionda middle of nowhere The road until the last laguna (Santa Cruz) is rocky, but you ll get to cycle most of it. After Santa Cruz however it is a mere act of pushing up a sandy slope for the whole afternoon. You ll finally reach a sandy valley, which narrows at some point to about 5m. There is a nice shelter from the wind. It is directly at the road at about 4575m (?), however there were only 3 jeeps after 3PM, which all passed at 5PM nobody will bother you there. Day 4: middle of nowhere abandoned house (10km before arbol de piedra) You continue the climb (or push) for another 3km, then it is all downhill to the Hotel Desierto turnoff. Haha, you have to push almost the entire downhill, because it is ridiculously sandy. At the hotel you can refill your bottles an Ecuadorian cyclist was even able to sleep in the drivers shared room for free!
After the turnoff it is a sandy desert where you get to ride about 50% of the way until you reach a high point where you can camp. Here is the border of the national park (not the gate). From here there is a better maintained road all the way to the border which is mostly (except some 1 10 kms (!) of pushing) rideable! Continue for about 10km to an abandoned house which is brilliant campsite, although the elevation from tour.tk is wrong (~4550 is more accurate). Day 5: abandoned house (10km before arbol de piedra) Laguna Colorada From the house it is a relatively easy road to Arbol de Piedra. There is more camping opportunities and even a WC here. The downhill to Laguna Colorada is good for the first part, but a lot of pushing before the NPA entrance. At the entrance there is a refugio and a small shop, which were closed due to some public holiday. We had to push on for another 11km of severely bad road until the next refugio, where you can change dollars, there is a small shop (pasta, crackers, nachos, drinks). You ll get to scam free breakfast just pretend you re part of a group and get yourself a freezingly cold shower walking in there and heading straight to the bathrooms. There are so many jeep tourists you won t be noticed. Day 6: Laguna Colorada Laguna Chalviri (hot springs) It is a 25km climb with rough surface and a lot of pushing until you reach the geyser field at about 4850m. It is incredibly windy up there, but there are some shelters. First, at one of the vapor jets which is more uphill and somewhat isolated you will find a swimming pool like structure where you might fit your tent in. Other than that there are construction buildings on the way back to the main road (southern exit). The geysers are most impressive at sunrise or sunset no question.
The downhill to Laguna Chalviri is in very good condition and 100% cycling. At Laguna Chalviri, there is a hospedaje, a restaurant and hotsprings. The hotsprings are 3 Bs per person or free depending on your conversation skills. The guy of the restaurant will let you sleep on the restaurant floor for free. Dinner is 15 Bs (Lama steak with Quinoa), breakfast is free (leftovers) or 5Bs, depending on the mood of the guy. In the restaurant you have hardcore rave techno fun from the kitchen ladies until 10PM and then love songs starting at 4:30 AM you might prefer pitching your tent... Bail out option: talk to one of the jeep drivers and let them take you to the geysers at 5AM. That way you get to see them at the best time and don t have to sleep in cruelsome conditions at almost 5000m. Day 7: Laguna Chalviri (hot springs) Laguna Verde/Blanca The uphill through the desierto del Dalí is gradual and rideable if the wind is not too bad. Nice scenery here. The downhill to Lagunas Verde and Blanca requires only a little bit of pushing. At Laguna Verde there are few abandoned buildings perfect for camping or you push to the other side, where there is a refugio. Day 8: Laguna Verde/Blanca San Pedro de Atacama You will pass the NPA Entrance and refugio. the ticket will be checked again if you managed to sneak through at Laguna Colorada there is a path behind the NPA entrance... they won't stop you... The border patrol for stamping out of Bolivia is after 6km of easy uphill cycling. It is free, but sometimes the guy will make you pay a exit fee of ~15Bs.
The road after the border is incredible, but still packed dirt until you reach the pavement after 6km of climbing. The downhill to San Pedro is fantastic expect heavy headwinds though. In San Pedro you can stay for 4000 Pesos at Casa de Sol Naciente shortly after the Museo del Meteorito. There is hot water, free Wifi, very nice staff, a kitchen and a nice living room. Also, Couchsurfing is available in San Pedro