Colchani is the small salt-processing village on the eastern edge of the Salar, about 22 km north of Uyuni and reached on every tour. The salt comes in by truck from the flat, gets piled in conical mounds to dry, then is shovelled into bags for distribution across Bolivia. Small workshops along the main street sell salt souvenirs — carved llamas, salt-block lamps, blocks of crystal — and the whole place has a slightly improvised feel.
It is also where the first salt hotels appeared, with walls, floors, and furniture cut from blocks of compressed salt. Some of the originals have been demolished for environmental reasons, but newer versions on the edge of the flat remain a popular place to spend a night during a tour.