If you love landscapes that seem unreal, Tour 2 will be your ideal setting during the Route of the Gunmen 2026. As the race progresses through gravel and desert routes, you will traverse one of the most stunning natural circuits in Bolivia: high-altitude lagoons filled with birds, wind-sculpted rocks, and the silhouette of an active volcano marking the horizon.
The day usually begins with a stop at the famous Uyuni Train Cemetery. It is the kind of place that seems made for photography: abandoned locomotives, metal structures covered in rust, and tracks lost in the sand. Here, one can feel the passage of time and the echo of an era when Uyuni was an important railway hub. Walking among these iron giants is also walking among stories of progress, abandonment, and resilience.
From there, the path opens up to the Valley of Rocks, an area where the wind and the centuries have carved whimsical figures into large blocks of stone. It's easy to play at finding shapes: animals, faces, towers, natural bridges. The guide will help you recognize some, but part of the magic is in letting your imagination do its work. This is a perfect place for those who love unique photos and landscapes that seem to be from another planet.
Later on, the tour delves into the route of the highland lagoons. Laguna Turquiri and then the more well-known Laguna Cañapa and Laguna Hedionda offer three distinct versions of the same spectacle: water, salt, mountains, and life. Watching pink flamingos feeding peacefully while the wind sweeps across the surface of the water is an experience that stays in the memory. Often, three different species of flamingos can be observed, along with other high Andean birds and, hopefully, vicuñas on the shores.
One of the most special moments is passing by the viewpoint of the Ollagüe volcano, an active volcano on the border between Bolivia and Chile. From a distance, its fumarole can be distinguished, a white column that reveals the internal activity of the colossus. This is not a technical visit, but a contemplative one: the kind of place where you stand in silence, looking, trying to grasp the scale of the landscape.
During the day, the group takes a break for a lunch on the go, usually at a sheltered spot from the wind with a view of the lagoons or the valley. It’s an ideal moment to chat with other companions, exchange impressions, and share photos of those “wow moments” that the landscape offers.
On the way back, the route usually passes through the town of San Cristóbal, a modern mining town that contrasts with the wild landscapes of the rest of the day. It is a demonstration of how current mining also shapes the territory and the lives of the communities.
This tour is perfect if you are excited about nature photography, if you love vast skies, and if you enjoy those places where silence and the wind are everything. You don't need to be an athlete to fall in love with this high plateau: just have curiosity, a good jacket, and your camera ready.