Argentina, il Meglio del Nord

Salta is one of Argentina's best-preserved colonial cities, nestled in an Andean valley at 1,187 metres above sea level in the north-western part of the country. The Plaza 9 de Julio, with its ochre baroque cathedral, the Cabildo and cream-coloured arcades, forms one of the most harmonious historic centres in the entire Argentine North West — earning the city its enduring nickname, «Salta la Linda». The Museo de Arte de Alta Montaña (MAAM) houses some of the most perfectly preserved Inca mummies ever found in the Andes, recovered from the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano at over 6,700 metres. Salteño cuisine is among Argentina's most distinctive: empanadas prepared to the local recipe with meat, hard-boiled eggs and olives, and locro, a hearty corn-and-bean stew, are fixtures in the bodegones of the old centre. The high-altitude wines from the Quebrada de Cafayate, south of the city, round out the gastronomic offer. Salta is also the ideal base for a series of extraordinary excursions: the Quebrada de Humahuaca to the north (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Tren a las Nubes that climbs to the La Polvorilla viaduct at 4,200 metres, and the adobe villages of the Calchaquí Valley. The golden light of sunset on the rust-coloured mountains surrounding the valley turns every evening into an unrepeatable chromatic spectacle.

During the journey from Salta to Purmamarca, you cross the majestic Andes Mountains, with breathtaking panoramic views of canyons, valleys, and snow-capped peaks. Along the way, it is possible to stop in picturesque villages and towns, where you can immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of local communities. A stop at the Quebrada de las Conchas is highly recommended: located roughly halfway between Salta and Purmamarca, this gorge features a series of spectacular rock formations, including the famous Amphitheatre. Before arriving in Purmamarca, you can also stop in Tilcara to visit the Pucará, an ancient fortified settlement built by pre-Columbian Indigenous peoples. San Antonio de los Cobres is a remote town of miners and herders on the Salta altiplano, at 3,775 metres above sea level, on Ruta Nacional 40 and along the route of the Tren a las Nubes. Its name recalls the copper mines (cobres) that gave rise to its founding: today the town lives from the tourist transit tied to the train and from the Kolla communities that inhabit the Puna. The thin air, the arid colours of the Argentine Puna — yellows, pinks and clay brown — and the intense altiplano light create an alien and fascinating atmosphere. The town is the highest point accessible by road along the route towards the Puna de Atacama and the Chilean border. Jujuy — its full name is San Salvador de Jujuy — is the capital of Argentina's northernmost province, tucked into an Andean basin at 1,259 metres above sea level at the confluence of the Grande and Xibi-Xibi rivers. A town of Spanish colonial foundation, with a historic centre gathered around Plaza Belgrano and a cathedral that preserves a baroque wooden pulpit of rare craftsmanship, Jujuy is above all the logistical gateway for exploring the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the villages of the Puna. The Cabildo, now home to a history museum, and the government palace decorated with murals by indigenous artist Jorge Virgilio Burucuá are two stops in the centre. Local gastronomy reflects proximity to Bolivia and Peru: humitas, tamales and locro are common dishes in the central markets. Jujuy is well served by the international Gobernador Horacio Guzmán airport. Purmamarca is a small adobe village in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the Andean valley of north-western Argentina declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. At 2,324 metres above sea level, the village clusters around a colonial square shaded by an ancient algarrobo tree, with the seventeenth-century church of Santa Rosa de Lima looking towards the Cerro de los Siete Colores — the hill of seven colours, the symbol of the village and of the Quebrada itself. The colours of the Cerro are the result of millions of years of superimposed geological deposits: pink, purple, orange, green, ochre yellow and brick red alternate in horizontal bands that shift in tone throughout the day. The craft market under the square's arcades offers textiles, ceramics and jewellery from the Kolla indigenous communities. Purmamarca is also the starting point for the Cuesta de Lipán, the plateau road that climbs towards the Puna and the Salina Grande, the great salt flat at 3,400 metres.

During the journey from Purmamarca to Salta, you pass through the majestic Andes Mountains, with breathtaking panoramic views of canyons, valleys, and snow-capped peaks. Along the way, it is possible to stop in picturesque villages and towns, where you can immerse yourself in the culture and traditions of the local communities. A stop at the Quebrada de las Conchas is highly recommended: located roughly halfway between Salta and Purmamarca, this gorge features a series of spectacular rock formations, including the famous Amphitheatre. Humahuaca is the principal inhabited centre of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the Andean valley of Jujuy province declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, at 2,940 metres above sea level. The town, with its white adobe houses and the seventeenth-century colonial church of La Candelaria, has lived for centuries as a transit hub on the route that linked the Andean civilisations of Tawantinsuyu — the Inca empire — with the plains of the Río de la Plata. Every day at noon, a mechanical figure emerges from the facade of the town's Cabildo to bless the square: a curious and beloved tradition of the local community. The surroundings of Humahuaca offer lunar landscapes of great intensity: the Hornocal, with its fourteen-coloured mountain accessible by four-wheel drive, is one of the most photographed vistas in the Argentine North West.

Cachi is a colonial adobe village in the Calchaquí Valley of Salta province, at 2,280 metres above sea level, reachable from Salta via the spectacular Cuesta del Obispo — a mountain pass exceeding 3,300 metres with views over misty forests and high-altitude grasslands. The village has streets of white limestone dust, low houses with roofs of cardón cactus and an eighteenth-century colonial church whose interior furnishings are carved from the only local wood available: dried cardón. The Calchaquí Valley around Cachi is a landscape of lunar deserts, white volcanoes and high-altitude vineyards; small local producers offer artisan wines of extraordinary authenticity. The village's Museo Arqueológico holds artefacts from pre-Inca cultures of the valley. The quiet atmosphere, the intense altiplano light and the monastic landscape make Cachi an ideal stop for those seeking an alternative Argentina, far from the crowds. Molinos is a quiet colonial village in the Calchaquí Valley, in the province of Salta, around 200 kilometres south of the provincial capital, reachable along one of the most scenic roads in the Argentine North West. The church of San Pedro Nolasco, dating from the seventeenth century, and the historic Molino harinero of the Isasmendi family are the focal points of the small centre. The surrounding landscape alternates reddish deserts, stands of cardón cactus and high-altitude vineyards: the wines produced in the area by small growers are among the most authentic expressions of Calchaquí. Molinos is a prized stop on the circuit linking Salta, Cachi and Cafayate, far from the crowds and rich in an authenticity of everyday life that is hard to find elsewhere.

Cafayate is a charming wine town set in the Quebrada de Cafayate, around 180 kilometres south of Salta, in a landscape of red canyons, wind-sculpted rock formations and vineyards growing between 1,700 and 2,000 metres above sea level. This high-altitude microclimate, dry and sun-drenched, is ideal for white Torrontés, Argentina's most distinctly native grape variety, and for notably structured Malbec wines. The bodegas in the area open their cellars to visitors for tastings and tours: Bodega Etchart, Bodega El Esteco and Familia Zuccardi (with its modern stone winery in the surroundings) are among the most visited. The centre of Cafayate, with its cathedral overlooking the main square, cobblestone streets and craft shops, retains the quiet charm of a colonial inland town. The Quebrada de las Conchas, the red sandstone canyon traversed along Ruta 68 towards Salta, is one of Argentina's most spectacular geological landscapes.

The transfer from Cafayate to Salta offers a journey through some of the most spectacular and fascinating landscapes in Salta Province, in northwestern Argentina. Along the route between Cafayate and Cachi lies Los Cardones National Park, where you can admire vast stretches of giant cacti and breathtaking desert scenery. If you have extra time, a detour to Cachi is highly recommended. This picturesque colonial village is nestled on the slopes of the Andes and is famous for its cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, and historic churches.