Salta

Salta and the Jujui region

I had read and heard a lot about the Salta and Jujui region so it was with great expectations that I began another 20-hour bustrip.

The highlights are in Salta’s surroundings, and I had without luck tried to find a trip where I did not have to go back to Salta every day. I did not want to rent a car so I hoped I could find a solution once I was in Salta. I also needed to find a bus ticket with a day trip from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama. On the net, there were only night trips, but I wanted to see and experience the nature through the Andes. and luckily as soon as I was in Salta, it was easy to get a ticket. I arrived in the afternoon in fine weather. However, it suddenly changed and we got an enormous rain shower, and I had to wait until the following day for my research of excursions. When the rain stopped, I went out to see the city, and it was immediately clear that Northern Argentina is completely different from what I had experienced in the rest of the country. It was crowded with a completely different life on the streets and people everywhere. The Northern region did not as the rest of the country get invaded by Europeans, so the majority of the population are descendants of the original population and looks more like of the population in Bolivia.

The following day, in addition to my hunt for excursions I also had to find a camera. There are very few camera shops, very few decent cameras and they are expensive. Most people use their phones and those who have a decent camera have probably bought it in Chile, where prices are roughly the same as in Denmark, but much cheaper than in Argentina.

I found a small Canon camera which I have used for my pictures for the remaining part og my tour. Not great, but better than no pictures.

I also found my excursions. With a bureau selected without any research, but I was lucky. Three days with their English speaking guide – just me and a single couple in the back of the car – it was almost like a private tour. On my fourth trip, I had to go on a minibus with 10-12 others, as my guide did not work during weekends. The bureau could also arrange trips where I did not have to go back to Salta, but because of the Carnival all hotels were fully booked, so I did have to go back and forth everyday. It was actually OK. The only thing I wish I could have avoided was to do the one hour plus trip between Salta and Pumamarca four times. 

Salta

In between my purchases, there was also time for some sightseeing in the center of the city, only interrupted by another heavy rain shower. I realized it was typical every afternoon at this time of the year 

Salta is, like almost all other cities, built around a large square and with some nice old colonial buildings facing the square – museum, church, hotels and restaurants. I did not see much of the city beyond the center, but I did walk through San Martin Park, from where you can take a gondola to the top of San Bernardo Hill. From here you can enjoy breathtaking views of the whole city.

Jujui Region North of Salta

My first tour out of town went north through the Jujui region, where nature is incredibly beautiful and colorful. We did not take the direct road going north, but passed both a large lake and rainforest before reaching the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, from here the trip went further north to some small villages where the most famous are Pumamarca, Tilcara and Humahuaca. The last one is in 3000 meters altitude, so we were drinking plenty of water. My driver chewed coca leaves but we were doing fine with just the water. Besides admiring the beautiful scenery, the cozy markets in the cities, we also saw their carnival. Among other things, a parade of children and young people smearing with flour or spraying with foam. We did our best to stay away from that.

I think I saw many beautiful mountains with the incredible colors, but I did actually not see the most beautiful ones, as the road to go there was blocked due to all the rain there had fallen in the days before.

After a late lunch and sightseeing in Humahuaca, the trip went back the same way. The scenery on the last part of the trip to Salta was not that special. It was, on the other hand, the ride in the car. My driver drove well, but fast, close to the car in from of us, overtaking for full lines. When I asked, if there were no traffic rules in this region, he just laughed. Fortunately, it was not so scary the following days we were on tours.

It was remarkable, so much better the roads are in northern Argentina. Wider and paved roads everywhere. Much different from what I had got used to in the south.

Cachi

My next trip went South through a mountainous area from Salta to Cachi. Cachi is a small nice town, but it was the trip going there, that was the highlight. Again through beautiful beautiful scenery that was completely different than what I had seen the day before. On this trip the highest point we passed, was just over 3,500 m. The couple who went on the trip, that day was very quiet. They had been on the tour to the North, a couple of days earlier and had been hit by altitude sickness. When it hits, it can be really bad.

After the stop in Cachi with a lunchbreak we drove the same way back. It was not a problem as It was a completely different experience. The mountains look different from the opposite side and then the afternoon light is very different.

Cafayate.

On my third trip, I went to Cafayate, which is the region’s wine area, with many vineyards. It is like Cachi located south of Salta, but by another road with a much lower altitude. The highlight of this day, like the other days, were the scenery we drove through. This time we saw gorges, green oases and an amazing amount of natural sculptures. In Cafayate we visited a vineyard, and here we also saw the carnival on the town square.

Like the day before, it was also the same way back in the afternoon, but it was not a repeat as the scenery kept changing all the times. If you are in your own car, it can be recommended to do  Cafayate and Cachi together with an overnight stay. The trip between the two cities should be just as beautiful and again completely different.

Train to the Clouds and Salinas Grande

After a rainy rest day in Salta, I was on my last tour. This time also to the north but more to the west than we were on the first day. Apart from the months in the rainy season, you can take a train into the mountains – “Train to the Clouds”. It’s a magical long trip, but it should be incredibly beautiful. As the train did not go, I had to settle for the second best – the road trip. Our tour initially followed almost the same route as the train, and I was out walking on the tracks on a bridge. Then we visited the ancient city Santa Rosa de Tastil, which originated before the Incas. We had a local guide to tell us about the ruins – unfortunately only in a Spanish that was a too hard for me to understand. Today’s lunch we ate in Argentina’s highest-lying city –  San Antonio de Los Cobras. It is located at 3,775 m altitude. The walk in town after lunch was at a very slow pace, I would like to admit. There was also not much to look at. The next part of the tour was on a road that was a bit of a trial. There was no asphalt and many waterholes, but our goal – Salinas Grandes, which is a huge salty area, was worth the trip. The salt area was under water, which makes it look special and possible for some fun pictures. The road between Salta and Atacama in Chile are straight through the salty area, so from here it was a very nice road and also the same road as my bus the following day going to San Pedro de Atacama. We were still above  3.500 m altitude, and this time going down the hairpin turns was on the Argentine side. All the other places I had crossed the border, they had been on the Chilean side.

Back in Salta I was time to say goodbye to my guide and thank you for some amazing days. I was deeply grateful that we had been in a small car rather than a minibus. The tours had been with different couples in the backseat and only one of them could speak English, but with a little effort and help from my guide, we were able to communicate and I had met some amazing sweet people.

Summary

While Salta is an ok nice city to visit – with a cosy city center, pedestrian streets and many restaurants, the scenery in the surrounding areas are stunning. It was like being presented with one beautiful painting after another. That nature can be so magnificent and offer so much different within a relatively small area, is truly amazing. A trip to Argentina without including northern Argentina is a mistake. To me it was a nice and lovely farewell to a very large country that I for four months had traveled in and out of.

Link to Salta Photos