The refuge of traditions and pre-Columbian art
The northern provinces are lands of contrasts where living nature, history, traditions and living cultures of ancestral peoples coexist in harmony.
Time seems to have stopped in the plateau of the Puna, a land furrowed by mountain ranges, gorges and ravines. Charming villages surrounded by hills, sometimes multicolored, sometimes monochromatic. They have slopes covered with great cactus, they maintain alive old traditions that celebrate in colorful and joyful festivities the generosity of the "Pachamama", the mother earth.
The encounter with a diverse landscape, from the high peaks to the plain, with subtropical salares and jungles, where pre-Columbian trails still remain, ruins of fortresses and villages of original villages next to colonial constructions.
Catamarca
In the aridity of the landscape you will discover oases of crystalline waters
discover adventure tourism between dunes, volcanoes and the largest crater in the world. The connection with the past awaits in El Shincal. And while the hot springs wait for rest, a glass of local wine in the middle of vineyards and mountain landscapes relaxes as much as the fresh and green valleys of Catamarca.
Pomez stone field
A place to be amazed by nature. In the heart of the puna catamarqueña, you can leave from the town of Antofagasta de la Sierra to know volcanoes, salt flats and tall lagoons.
65 km from Antofagasta by RP 43, El Peñón, a small town with few inhabitants, is the gateway to several attractions, such as the Piedra Pómez field, the Grande lagoon and the Galán volcano. It is located at the side of the route and offers an opportunity to rest on the road.
The Campo de Piedra Pómez is a product of the solidified lava of the Cerro Blanco volcano, and the wind that descends from the Andes carved into the rocks various forms, creating paths, all kinds of sculptures and this landscape so strange that it seems from another planet. It is possible to arrive in excursions in 4x4, and in the same zone the Galán volcano (with one of the largest volcanic craters in the world), the Salto de Antofalla and the Dead Man is known.
Jujuy
From the Puna to the Quebrada de Humahuaca (World Heritage), the Yungas and the valleys, thousands of experiences in a varied and authentic province. Volcanoes, salares, geysers and lagoons: the adventure is discovered in the landscapes of Jujuy. An invitation to travel along paths that tell the history of the country and celebrate the Pachamama, among warm people, adobe houses, dirt roads and starry nights.
Humahuaca
Covered by imposing hills, the city of Humahuaca invites you to see local history, a mix of ancestral traditions and religious celebrations.
Through the National Route 9, rock formations and chromatic as Yacoraite or "Coya Pollera" realize that this is the right way. Almost in the center of the Quebrada de Humahuaca - declared Cultural Landscape in the World Heritage List of UNESCO - rises the Historical City of Humahuaca, cradle of men who fought and died during War of the Independence (1810-1825), In this corner of the Argentine North that impacts by its beauty and is guarded by hills that conform a divine postcard.
Strolling through the city and its surroundings is to walk through thousands of years of cultural expressions and traditions, customs, ancestral rituals and religious celebrations. This irresistible syncretism in the capital of the Quebrada connects travelers with the history and nature of what was known as one of the most important trade centers of the Incas and the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, and which today Shelters the Monument to the Heroes of Independence, a work dreamed by the sculptor Ernesto Soto Avendaño.
With friends, family, couple or even alone, touring this small world of narrow cobbled streets is witnessing the Hispanic architecture and each place has something to tell. At noon, when the rays of sun dye the life of Humahuaqueña, from inside the clock of the Cabildo, in front of the square, a carved figure of San Francisco Solano imparts his blessing. Then it continues towards the church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, in front of the square. Constructed in 1641, with an unpolluted white façade, it preserves in its interior the image of the local patroness who gives it its name and a series of paintings from the XVIII century, an inheritance of the Cusco School.
To whet your appetite, the walk continues through the village market, where the colors blend with the spice aromas and regional foods, so you will have to stop at some place to enjoy a lunch. In the Regional Folkloric Museum a rich and complex panorama of the customs and customs of the region is reached. And in the area of the old train station there is a varied supply of local foods.
Already at dusk, in the doors of the old houses begin to light yellow lanterns and the light of the sun is lost among the hills. Then the thermal amplitude is felt. Luckily: on the other side of the train station, in the village, the adobe houses shelter the visitor from the cold with its warmth and if it is hot, the adobe maintains the freshness. It is said, it is a noble and fierce material like the Humahuaqueños.
The next morning, when the sound of the bands of sikuris is mixed with church bells or children's copleros, nothing better than to start towards the top of the Monument to the Heroes of Independence. From there you can see a panoramic view as unforgettable as the majestic Serranías de Hornocal, 25 kilometers away, which can be visited later.
If syncretism is the only term to define the complex, particular and attractive religious culture of the people of the Quebrada, in this millenary land the Pachamama and the sun god live together with the Catholic saint and everything is a real popular feast. It is felt in the bustling carnivals, the joyful encounters of artists, the festive pilgrimages and the bands of sikuris, all year round.
Jujuy is reached by plane to Gobernador H. Guzman Airport, by bus or car, by National Route No. 40, National Route No. 34 or National Route No. 9, the last two totally paved.
Salta
Salta inspires to change of pace in peaceful villages, between wines of height and local flavors, thermal waters, peaks and volcanoes with eternal snows, extensive saline basins and the vivid colors of the loom designs. From the puna is passed to the bushy jungles and mighty rivers, immersed in places crossed by history and the tracks of gauchos and ancient civilizations.
Iruya
A place to rest. Between the mountains, this Andean town of the north of Salta is hidden. Its geographic location, at about 2,800 meters above sea level, makes it a destination with unique characteristics. Adobe houses, cobbled streets and tranquility far from the noise of cities. You can stroll around, visit the church (in front of it there is a viewpoint from which you can see the valley surrounded by hills) and, when there are night clubs.
Calchaquíes Valleys
Throughout several provinces, the Calchaquíes Valleys offer many attractions to live the summer.
In Salta, the architecture and culture of its villages are combined with pre-Columbian landscapes and sites. Seclantás, Molinos, Cachi, Angastaco (from where you access the Quebrada de las Flechas), Payogasta, La Poma, Animaná, San Carlos and Cafayate are the main points. Horseback riding, hiking, mountain bike tours, rural tourism and adventure are some of the activities that can be enjoyed in these locations.
The Quebrada de Escoipe and Cuesta del Obispo constitute the entrance to the valleys, with multicolored hills, followed by a zigzag rise up to 3.348 masl in Piedra del Molino.
Cafayate, in addition, is one of the main destinations of the route of the highest wine of the world, that unfolds along the valleys. There is the Museum of Vine and Wine, you can visit wineries and try the torrontés of altitude, the characteristic strain. It is also the starting point for visiting the Quebrada de las Conchas (Route 68), a site with multicolored mountains, dunes and rock formations such as the Amphitheater, the Sapo, the Friar, the Obelisk and the Castles.
From San Carlos, a town of colonial houses and narrow streets, you can access the Calchaquí river for fishing and the La Dársena dam for water sports such as kayaking and surfing.
In Tucumán, the journey passes through villages such as Colalao del Valle (bicycle tours, trekking and horseback riding), El Mollar (surrounded by hills and close to La Angostura dike, where you can enjoy walks and horseback riding), El Pichao Archaeological site Cóndor Huasi and for its quince, quince, apple, fig and pear handmade sweets), Amaicha del Valle (from where you can access the Ruins of Quilmes) and Famaillá (known for its classic empanadas) is the place where Performs the National Holiday of this dish). In Tafí del Valle, walking or riding among its hills, go kayaking or canoeing at La Angostura dike and mountain biking along its paths combines with walking the Route of the Craftsmen and taste typical foods and cheeses elaborated in the area.
