On the south side of the Salar de Uyuni is the infrequently visited site of Cueva del Diablo, a pre-Inca burial site situated in a cave part way up a cliff. Inside the cave are a series burial sites that, when they were discovered, didn’t contain any of the remains or artefacts to give a clue to who was buried there or the culture they came from.
The site is covered in mystery as a consequence, although one theory is that the mummified bodies and artefacts were removed as the Spanish conquered the region. To add to the myth and mystique of the site it is also said that a young woman shepherdess was found dead in the cave in mysterious circumstances when taking shelter from a storm.
Site of the Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Entrance to the Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Inside the cave there are a couple of dozen graves, known as chullpas, a style of construction common to the altiplano region but normally seen out in the open as large square or rectangular structures painted in natural colours.
Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Skulls and coca leaves, Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The view back to the cave entrance presented a good photo opportunity…all very Indiana Jones.
Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Cueva del Diablo, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
