Northwest Argentina

The Andean valleys of Salta and Jujuy: the Hill of Seven Colors, the Hill of Fourteen Colors, Cafayate's high-altitude wines and colonial towns, all steeped in Andean Indigenous culture.

Northwest Argentina (NOA) generally refers to the Andean provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán and Catamarca. Most trips center on Salta and Jujuy, the part of Argentina with the strongest Andean Indigenous and colonial character. Highlights: Salta "the Beautiful" (the colonial main square, the Museum of High Mountain Archaeology with its frozen Inca child mummies, and the Cerro San Bernardo cable car); the Quebrada de Humahuaca (a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the Hill of Seven Colors at Purmamarca, the Pucará fortress ruins at Tilcara, and the Hornocal Hill of Fourteen Colors at 4,350 m near Humahuaca); the Salinas Grandes salt flats; Cafayate (high-altitude Torrontés wine and the red rock formations of the Quebrada de las Conchas) and the Calchaquí Valleys (Cachi and Route 40); and the Train to the Clouds (Tren a las Nubes). The classic self-drive loop is Salta–Cafayate (via the Quebrada de las Conchas)–Cachi (via Route 40 and the Cuesta del Obispo)–Salta, then north to the Quebrada de Humahuaca, taking 7–10 days. Salta has flights to Buenos Aires, and long-distance buses run within the region, but driving yourself is the best way to enjoy the scenery. Some stretches are gravel roads that can be hit by landslides in the rainy season; high-altitude sections exceed 4,000 m, so watch for altitude sickness.

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Itineraries