Argentina - Part 3 : Jujuy & Salta

13 April 2025

Our host at the Elonial in Paraty, Rick, himself from Argentina, told us not to miss out on these two Andean provinces, situated in the north-west of his homeland on the borders with Chile and Bolivia. So, on this recommendation, we flew to San Salvador de Jujuy and spent the best part of a week discovering the amazing landscapes and  culture of this mountainous region.

While the town of Jujuy itself was nothing remarkable, things changed as soon as we hit Highway 9, along the Humahuaca Gorge, a scenic canyon running northward 160km along the Río Grande. The gorge was historically important as a trade route up through the Atacama Plateau to Bolivia and Peru and this area was part of the Inca Empire. The route would take us to some wonderful old dusty towns, each set with a breathtaking sandstone backdrop and with a rich, indigenous culture; Purmamarca, a pre-hispanic village with its majestic 7-colors Hill; Tilcara, with its amazing pre-Inca fortification ruins; Humahuaca, an old whitewashed colonial town  and UNESCO-declared World Heritage site; Uquía, with its 17^th century church and angelic murals; and finally, Huacalera, where we stepped on the imaginary line of the Tropic of Capricorn.

The whole region seemed timeless, moving at its own pace: the villages baking beneath multi-hued cliffs, fuzzy llamas wandering the foothills, and villagers seeking shade under towering cacti.

Salta, with its colonial architecture, plazaside cafes and laid-back vibe,  was rather  more appealing than Jujuy. It was also the gateway to the Quebrada de las Conchas, a gorge located to the south-west of the city. Our tour through the nature reserve took in brownish-red mountains with wonderful views, incredible rock formations and high-altitude vineyards(complete with wine-tasting). We travelled as far as Cafayate before returning to Salta and the next day we headed back to Buenos Aires, well content with our introduction to the landscapes and culture of the Andes.