This wonderful town in the northwest of Argentina is a favourite for inquisitive minds with a taste for adventure. As well as offering a great selection of fascinating museums, cafes, plazas and folk music venues, it’s a great spot from which to explore the great outdoors. The stark ravines of the Quebrada de Cafayate and Quebrada de Humahuaca are easily accessible from Salta, as are the national parks of Calilegua and El Rey, and the charming villages of the Valles Calchaquies. Salta itself is really just the beginning of a wonderful break away.
Areas & Neighborhoods in Salta
Cafayate and Humahuaca — The journey to Cafayate and Humahuaca is just as dazzling as the destinations. Taking you through a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll meet craftsmen weaving the most gorgeous tapestries and textiles, living in villages seemingly from another time. And with the delightful architecture of towns such as Purmamarca, the pre-Incan city of El Pucara, and so much more en route, you’ll be spellbound all the way.
The Argentine Mountains — Follow the trails of the ancients through the spectacular mountains of the north west for a profound sense of long-gone eras. If trekking and camping out are for you, then the Argentine mountains provide the perfect setting for four-day hikes taking in breathtaking views and discovering ancient ruins. If nights under gloriously star-studded skies at the roof of the world sounds like your idea of heaven, then this could be the perfect place for you.
Calchaqui Valley — If exploration a little less arduous has more appeal, then you should look into investigating this glorious valley. Only really accessible by car or coach, you’ll discover yet more idyllic mountain villages and precipitous canyons and gorges. Perhaps most tempting, however, are the wine-tasting tours where you can sample some delicious local Malbec and Torrontes wines.
Puna Salt Flats — For a truly otherworldly experience you’ll want to set out into the salt flats of Puna. Here you’ll discover what looks like a lunar landscape pocked with lakes, volcanoes and maze-like rock formations. Along the way you will pass by half-forgotten mining towns and ghostly abandoned railway stations. An adventure into the phantasmagorical at the roof of the world.
Things to See in Salta
You don’t have to leave Salta to experience the spectacular. A short ride in the cable car from Parque San Martin will deliver you to the peak of Cerro San Bernardo. Here you can enjoy a meal and a beer whilst taking in a breathtaking view over the city and beyond. For something much more precious though, why not check out the Museo El Tribuno Guillermo Pajerrito Velarde? This small house turned museum is dedicated to Velarde, lawyer, banker, and bohemian patron of arts, where you’ll hear compelling tales of Salta’s cultural past.
Things to Do in Salta
Trekking and exploring are, of course, the primary reasons for being in Salta, and there are plenty of opportunities on offer to enjoy them. You can also spice things up by doing it all on horseback or hiring a motorcycle and see the sights with the wind blasting through your hair. Another option is rock climbing: there are untold sites where you can scale some monolithic mountains and volcanoes. Salta really is the very best of the great wide open.
