Iguazu was supposed to be our last stop of Argentina. Despite wanting to visit the northern and western region we had decided to head back to Bolivia sooner in order to save money and time for the remaining destinations of our trip. We wanted to hitchhike through Paraguay to reach Santa Cruz in Bolivia, yet it was highly unadvised to us as it is too dangerous and they have no culture of hitchhiking over there, nobody would take us. Therefore the only option left is to go through Salta, deciding to take the opportunity to visit the city and surrounding as everybody says is it beautiful.
So we decide to try our luck for a last hitchhiking journey before leaving Argentina and this time it was more difficult. After waiting over 2 hours in a … town where no cars ever stopped we decide to head for the bus terminal and get a bus that will get us to Salta by the next morning, being sure to have enough time on Sunday to visit the city. Salta and its surrounding is a last minute decision on our journey but was so worth it! The region is very different from everything we had seen before in Argentina and finally gave us a taste of the local life in Argentina, especially because we found it much more authentic than the rest of the country.
So we decide to try our luck for a last hitchhiking journey before leaving Argentina and this time it was more difficult. After waiting over 2 hours in a … town where no cars ever stopped we decide to head for the bus terminal and get a bus that will get us to Salta by the next morning, being sure to have enough time on Sunday to visit the city. Salta and its surrounding is a last minute decision on our journey but was so worth it! The region is very different from everything we had seen before in Argentina and finally gave us a taste of the local life in Argentina, especially because we found it much more authentic than the rest of the country.
The first day we visited Salta capital, which offers an un-harmonised city where colonial buildings and modern ones are mixed. Yet the colonial buildings and variety of churches are very colourful and beautiful. Wandering around on a Sunday, a dead day, it was very enjoyable to just walk and enjoy the beauty of these colonial buildings; as well as a lovely dinner on the main square, for once at a reasonable price!
The Salta and Jujuy regions have much to offer and can be visited in 3 to 7 days depending on your rhythm. We decided to do it in three days, maybe 1 day too short but still very enjoyable despite the many hours of driving. Two tours are to be made, the southern region of Salta city, and its northern one all the way up to the Jujuy region. |
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Day 1 - southern tour
The first day we left Salta at 7.15 in the morning and headed to Cafayate, 190 km and 3hours ride south of Salta. Leaving Salta we drive through some green countryside to further enter a very green and wild mountain area like in the jungle only to suddenly end up in the Quebrada de la Condes a valley of ochre canyons and rock formations. Something incredibly beautiful! We arrive at Cafayate around lunch time, already excited about everything awaiting us during this trip, seeing the quality of what we had just seen. Cafayate does appear like a touristic village (mostly known for its wine production) yet it has a lot of charm and it is enjoyable to walk around town. We head for lunch, where I tasted a local dish called Locro (a hearty thick stew with corn, meat potato and sometimes pumpkin), which I found really good. We then headed to one of the local wine producers to enjoy a wine tasting. 100 ARS (6€) per person for the tour and 5 wine tasting. The shortest wine tour of my life as it took 15 min while the tasting lasted 1 hour, but a special moment out of time to enjoy life within a relaxing environment. After lunch we headed back towards Salta, our initial goal. Yet, despite the 158 km, it took us a good 4 hours to reach only Cachi (the last big village before Salta – 160km further ahead) as the road is bad. Yet the view is magnificent, and we spent another 4 hours being amazed by what we saw; trying to limit ourselves with pictures. We crossed a variety of landscapes, and few little villages, made out of nothing, but where you fell you would enjoy staying a good 24 hours in order to feel its history, culture and enjoy its simplicity of way of life. Arriving at 8pm in Cachi we decide to spend the night there before heading towards the rest of our journey.
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Day 2 - northern tour
After enjoying a dawn walk around the lovely village of Cachi we head towards the north of Salta, up to the Jujuy region. Our first visit (despite the fact that the entire view from the car from start to end was pure discovery and pleasure for the eye) was the Cardones National Park, where one can see hundreds of cactuses. I was surprised to learn than cactuses are made of wood and at first grow about 10cm in 5 years!
We continue our route back through Salta city to head north 219 km towards Humahuaca. Another road taking us close to 4 hours, as a huge part of the national road goes through a very curvy and narrow wood road where one drive at around 30km per hour. We drive up to the Lagunas of Yala, as we had read that were nice. Yet they were not worth it to us for several reasons: they are not that impressive, the weather was cloudy hence the lagoon colour dull, and with the limited time we had to visit everything in 3 days we could have saved a good 1h30 to visit something else. Yet we ate one of the best Alfajor (an Argentinian pastry filled with dulce de leche and surrounded by chocolate) at the Lagoon restaurant! J Right at sunset we arrive at Purmamarca and the famous 7 colours mountains. La Quebraada de Humahuaca can be seen directly from the road and for several km offering a beautiful scenery of coloured mountains. The 7 colours mountain can only be seen from the village of Purmamarca, a lovely village where we enjoyed the sunset, visited a beautiful hotel who has a view right in front of the mountain, and tasted for the first time the delicious empanadillas, a different type of empanadas. We head to Humahuaca to spend the night there and be closer to our next destination the next day. During the morning ride, we stopped by the valley between Cachi and Salta to buy artisanal food by the side of the road. Not only did I buy the best dulche de leche (made out of goat milk) I ever had but also did we buy our dinner, llama sausage and fresh goat cheese. Frenchies as we are we couldn’t be happier to enjoy a bottle of red wine along with it! |
Day 3 - northern tour
Already our last day! On our program today: the 14 colours mountain, Humahuaca village and other villages on the road back if we had time (knowing we had to give back the car at 7pm in Salta Capital). Yet getting lost while drive towards the 14 colours mountains, we lost 1h30 out of our schedule. The positive side of it, we enjoyed wandering by car around the Quebrada de Humahuaca and its beautiful landscape. After changing itineraries a few times we finally made it to the mountain: 4350m height and an impressive view over the valley and its mountains. A view point awaits us 100m away, an easier walk down than up at this altitude, yet the view is worth it!
We then head back to Humahuaca for lunch and walk around town. Being March 8th, there was a little manifestation for women’s international day along with the local market. A village activity we very much enjoyed in this simple yet no too touristic village. Our last stop before heading directly back to Salta was the village of Tilcara. Two things interested us over there: the waterfalls and short hike of the Garganta del Diablo and the pre-inca ruins. We started with the waterfall hike and were very disappointed as for somehow who is short on its itinerary it doesn’t have much to offer, in addition to the fact that the walk along the canyon was closed… And the inca ruin entrance was 100 ARS for 1 hour visit, so we decided to skip it as we knew we would see many in Peru. All in all, these three days were very active in visits and number of km travelled, yet it was a beautiful last journey in Argentina before heading back to Bolivia. |
Transport: after a failed attempt of hitchhiking we paid a bus ARS 750 (45€) for an 8 hours ride.
Accommodation: In Salta we were hosted by the dirtiest Couchsurfing we ever had. In Cachi we slept at Neriz hostel paying ARS 600 for four people (150 each, hence 9€). In Humahuaca we slept at a hostal at the end of Av. Gral Belgrano for 450 ARS per night for four people including breakfast (112,5 ARS hence 6,7€).
F&B: you should really try local specialities such as Locro, casseroles, empanadillas, llamas and so on. This part of Argentina is really much cheaper than the rest, so enjoy!
Activities: the easiest way to visit the region is to rent a car. With four people we rented a car for 12,5€ per day per person, and 25€ of gas for the three days per person summing up to 62.5€ per person for three days. The rest of the visits along the road are free of charge, the only activity we paid were the wine tasting in Cafayate (100 ARS per person), the car tax entry for the 14 colours mountains (40 ARS per car), the Garganta del Diablo (20 ARS per person) and the inca ruins site in Tilcara if you want to do it, it’s 100 ARS per person.
Accommodation: In Salta we were hosted by the dirtiest Couchsurfing we ever had. In Cachi we slept at Neriz hostel paying ARS 600 for four people (150 each, hence 9€). In Humahuaca we slept at a hostal at the end of Av. Gral Belgrano for 450 ARS per night for four people including breakfast (112,5 ARS hence 6,7€).
F&B: you should really try local specialities such as Locro, casseroles, empanadillas, llamas and so on. This part of Argentina is really much cheaper than the rest, so enjoy!
Activities: the easiest way to visit the region is to rent a car. With four people we rented a car for 12,5€ per day per person, and 25€ of gas for the three days per person summing up to 62.5€ per person for three days. The rest of the visits along the road are free of charge, the only activity we paid were the wine tasting in Cafayate (100 ARS per person), the car tax entry for the 14 colours mountains (40 ARS per car), the Garganta del Diablo (20 ARS per person) and the inca ruins site in Tilcara if you want to do it, it’s 100 ARS per person.
Traveller’s tip: take your time to enjoy the journey. If I were you I would take a minimum of 4 days to do it, and even more if you really enjoy visiting local villages, taking time to experience its daily life, taking time to hike around the different sites etc…
Getting from Argentina to Bolivia by road
In order to reach Bolivia from Argentina we have to take a 7 hour bus (350 ARS - 20€) from Salta to La Quiaca, the last village before the border. You then cross the border over a bridge (10 min walking from the bus station): be careful both border offices are to each other so don’t miss the Bolivian one in order to get your passport stamped! Many people enter the country within the passport and end up paying a find (26Bs per day with a passport without the entry stamp) when leaving the country. They should normally give as well the immigration green paper. They didn’t want to give it to us, let’s hope they don’t bother us too much with that when we will leave the country.
Once in Villazon (the border village in Bolivia), the bus station is a 5 block walk from the bridge. Villazon is a cute little traditional town which has a lot of charm and offers a great first impression for Bolivia to anyone who has never been in the country before! One will for sure feel the difference between the developed Argentina and Bolivia (in terms of costs, culture, and way of life).
Getting from Argentina to Bolivia by road
In order to reach Bolivia from Argentina we have to take a 7 hour bus (350 ARS - 20€) from Salta to La Quiaca, the last village before the border. You then cross the border over a bridge (10 min walking from the bus station): be careful both border offices are to each other so don’t miss the Bolivian one in order to get your passport stamped! Many people enter the country within the passport and end up paying a find (26Bs per day with a passport without the entry stamp) when leaving the country. They should normally give as well the immigration green paper. They didn’t want to give it to us, let’s hope they don’t bother us too much with that when we will leave the country.
Once in Villazon (the border village in Bolivia), the bus station is a 5 block walk from the bridge. Villazon is a cute little traditional town which has a lot of charm and offers a great first impression for Bolivia to anyone who has never been in the country before! One will for sure feel the difference between the developed Argentina and Bolivia (in terms of costs, culture, and way of life).
Gracias a Stéphanie Vallet para las bellas fotos!