These salt deserts are created by the intense evaporation of a closed salt lake (not drained to the sea), where a thick salt crust eventually forms. Created almost 10 million years ago from a saltwater lake, Salinas Grandes Salar (salt flats) makes for an impressive sight. You can get an idea of the laborious nature of gathering the precious salt by venturing onto the saltpan as far as one of the saltmining sites. Spectacular!