20 photos from Salinas Grandes, the snow-white desert of Argentina

A cursory glance at this snow-white plain gives rise to thoughts of snow and cold. But this first impression is deceptive — the temperature in the Argentine Salinas Grandes salt desert reaches +45 degrees Celsius on some days.

Salinas Grandes is a vast salt marsh located in a tectonic depression at an altitude of 170 m between the ridges of the Sierra Pampas in Argentina.

The salt marsh is crossed by a highway and a railway, when traveling along which impressive views of the snow-white expanses open up.

The total area of the Salinas Grandes salt desert is about 8,500 km2.

Salinas Grandes is the bottom of a dried—up relict lake. This lifeless plain is suitable only for the extraction of mineral salt.

The borders of the Argentine provinces of Salta and Huhuy converge on the territory of the salt marsh.

Only sometimes water accumulates in the desert: it flows down from the nearest mountains or comes in rains.

Because of the unthinkable heat and frequent winds, the water, after standing for a while like a calm mirror surface, evaporates very quickly.

Minerals are mined on the territory of the salt marsh — there are extensive deposits of soda and potash.

Chloride and sulfate of soda, potash and borax crystallize here directly on a hard white crust. It remains only to scrape them off.

In addition, the snow—white salt desert attracts tourists.

Many curious travelers come here to see the salt marsh, which occupies the third largest place in the world.

Traveling through the salt desert is quite an extreme vacation.

Brave tourists are advised to put on good sunglasses, use strong sunscreens for uncovered parts of the skin and stock up on plenty of drinking water — there is nowhere to take it in Salinas Grandes.

Travelers can watch the process of extraction of mineral salts…

And also have lunch in the open-air Salt Restaurant Restaurant de Sal.

In Salinas Grandes, you can buy salt figurines made by local workers

On all sides, the salt marsh, resembling a frozen lake, is surrounded by mountains.