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Salta & the Andean Northwest

Argentina’s hardscrabble northwest sits beneath the mighty snowcapped Andes, where a confluence of wind, water, ice and time has conjured weird, wonderful rockscapes, streaked with minerals and glowing red in the sun. Nature speaks powerfully here, lending the region a certain mystery.

Argentina is known worldwide for its European colonial influence, but there's an Andean feel in the northwest. This is thanks to the creativity and endurance of indigenous communities here – descendants of empires, they are people of the puna (Andean highlands), which stretch into Chile and Bolivia.

The region's cities were Argentina's first colonial settlements, and it's here where independence was claimed. There's much to see: national parks aplenty, and century-old, high-altitude vineyards producing some of Argentina’s finest wine.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Salta & the Andean Northwest.

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Los Seismiles
West of Fiambalá, the paved road winds through the high desert, past picturesque red rock escarpments known as the Quebrada Angosturas, and into some serious altitude, topping out at the Chilean border. It's a stunning drive, with no services apart from a seasonal white-elephant hotel halfway between Fiambalá and the frontier. Los Seismiles are the peaks above 6000m, and you'll see several of them, including Ojos del Salado (6879m), the world's highest volcano. The transition from desert into the high country is mind-boggling. You'll glimpse glacial streams and icy wetlands teeming with flamingos, yellow tundra home to grazing vicuñas, and then finally the spectacular Seismiles will appear from behind still other snowcapped peaks. During the summer the road is open all the way to the border, but at all other times of year, the road is closed at La Gruta, an Argentine border post 21km from Chile; a precaution against inclement weather on hazardous roads that can be icy and dangerous thanks to gusts of viento blanco (white wind) that may blow in at anytime. Even more awe-inspiring scenery is accessed via a lonely (4WD-only) mining road that leads 90km to Monte Pissis (6793m), the Americas' third-highest peak. It's about five hours return (50km) to a viewpoint over this imposing mountain, with hauntingly beautiful blue, black and turquoise lakes in the foreground. Due to its isolation, this is best by tour; operators in Belén and Catamarca can make arrangements.
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Parque Nacional Talampaya
The spectacular rock formations and canyons of this dusty desert national park are evidence of the erosive creativity of water. The sandstone cliffs are amazing, as are the distant surrounding mountainscapes. You must enter by guided visit, arranged at the visitors center. The standard 2½-hour trip is included with your entrance fee. You'll be ferried in comfortable minibuses and there’s little walking involved; nevertheless, take water and protection from the fierce sun. For a little extra, you can extend the visit to another nearby canyon or do the route on the roof of a truck. Guided walks (AR$300 to AR$500) and trips on bicycles (AR$400) are also available; more appealing ways of exploring if the heat’s not too intense, though you'll still likely have to pay for transport into the park if you arrive on foot. There are often night excursions (AR$350) when there's a full moon. Be aware that the various excursions are operated by different companies, so it can be difficult to get complete information on what's available.
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Angastaco Natural Monument
Just south of Angastaco, the rutted earthen highway that is RN 40 weaves through surrealist rock formations that are unofficially called the Angastaco Natural Monument. The views are stunning. Expect jagged mineral-streaked mountains laced with sandy desert trails, pockmarked rock formations ideal for bouldering, and countless viewpoints and potential campsites. Look for handmade wooden signs, fashioned by locals, which point out features (in Spanish) along the scenic drive. This is arguably the most beautiful section of the Valles Chalcaquíes, and that's saying something.
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Serranía de Hornocal
Located 25km east of Humahuaca, this jagged row of rock 'teeth' offers utterly spectacular colors. Tours run here but it's drivable in a normal car with care. It's prettiest from 4pm onward, when the western sun brings out vivid hues. Turn left straight after crossing the bridge and follow the epic road (veer left 3km along for a short stretch of better road), which climbs to a 4000m pass. Here, head right for 1.7km to the viewpoint.
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James Turrell Museum
Colomé Bodega boasts this stunning museum designed by artist James Turrell that features a permanent exhibition of six of his works. These are utterly memorable installations involving light and the strange frontiers of our own perception; it’s a remarkable place. Both bodega and museum visits are offered in a single 90-minute tour, and must be booked ahead by phone or email.
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Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña
One of northern Argentina's premier museums, MAAM has a serious and informative exhibition focusing on Inca culture and, in particular, the child sacrifices left on some of the Andes’ most imposing peaks. The centerpiece is the mummified body of one of three children (rotated every six months) discovered at the peak of Llullaillaco in 1999. It was a controversial decision to display the bodies and it is a powerful experience to come face-to-face with them. Intricately plaited hair and clothes are perfectly preserved, and their faces reflect – you decide – a distant past or a typical 21st-century Salta face; a peaceful passing or a tortured death. The grave goods impress by their immediacy, with colors as fresh as the day they were produced. The illas (small votive figurines of animals and humans) are of silver, gold, shell and onyx, and many are clothed in textiles. It’s difficult to imagine that a more privileged look at pre-Columbian South American culture will ever be offered to us. Also exhibited is the ‘Reina del Cerro,’ a tomb-robbed mummy that ended up here after a turbulent history. Good videos give background on the sacrifices and on the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road system given Unesco status in 2014. There’s a shop and library as well as a cafe-bar with terrace.
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Parque Nacional Los Cardones
Flanking the winding RP 33 from Salta to Cachi across the Cuesta del Obispo, this park takes its name from the cardón (candelabra cactus), the park’s dominant plant species. Most picturesque is the Valle Encantado, accessed via a drivable 4km track at Km61. A few further miradores (viewpoints) are signposted along the road, along with a couple of short interpretative trails from along the straight stretch in Recta de Tin-Tin. The modern national park office is in Payogasta, 11km north of Cachi. This is gorgeous high-desert territory, with rounded peaks crowning velvety mountains, where cactus groves stand tall at elevations that eclipse 3000m. Take plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun. Buses between Salta and Cachi will stop for you, but verify times in advance. It's much better to have your own wheels. In the treeless Andean foothills and puna, the cardón has long been an important source of timber for rafters, doors, windows and more. You'll see it often in the region’s traditional buildings.
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Museo del Cablecarril
This old cable-car station documents the extraordinary engineering and mining project that created modern Chilecito at the beginning of the 20th century. Yes, this town, like many in cowboy country the world over, was built on silver, gold and copper. The simple, picturesque museum preserves photos, tools (those mammoth wrenches are cool!) and documents, as well as communications equipment, including an early cell phone. Peruse the museum on your own, then examine the cable-car terminus itself, where ore carts now wait fruitlessly in line. It's best in late afternoon when sun bathes the rusted metal and snowy sierras. With a car, you can investigate the second and third cable-car stations too. Guided tours visit the ninth and final stop of La Mejicana, high in the sierra. The museum is on the main road at the southern entrance to town, a block south of the bus terminal.
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El Shincal
The Inca ruins of El Shincal are located 7km west of Londres. Founded in 1471, the town occupied a commanding position in the foothills of the mountains, surveying the vast valley to the south. The setting is spectacular, with fantastic views and great atmosphere. The renovated museum at the entrance has a scale model and good background on Inca and pre-Inca culture, while signs along the way explain local plants. At the ruins, 500m beyond, the ushnu (ceremonial platform) is set in the middle of a central square and is flanked by two partially restored kallankas (buildings of unknown function). Two hilltop platforms aligned to the rising and setting sun probably served as both lookouts and altars. All information is in Spanish, including the guided tours, offered six times daily. There's a cafe-restaurant on-site.