Salta & the Andean Northwest
Why Go?Argentina’s northwest sits lofty, dry and tough beneath the mighty Andes. Nature works magic here with stone: weird, wonderful, tortured rockscapes are visible throughout.
There’s a definite Andean feel with traditional handi-crafts, llamas, indigenous communities and Inca ruins, and the high, arid puna (Andean highlands) stretching into Chile and Bolivia. The region’s cities were Argentina’s first colonial settlements and have special appeal.
Several popular routes await. From travelers’ favorite Salta, head through a national park studded with cactus sentinels to gorgeous Cachi, then down through traditional weaving communities in the Valles Calchaquíes to Cafayate, home of some of Argentina’s best wines. Another route from Salta soars upwards to the puna mining settlement of San Antonio de los Cobres, heads north to the spectacular salt plains of the Salinas Grandes, and then down to the visually wondrous and history-rich Quebrada de Humahuaca.Best National
Parks¨¨ Parque Nacional Calilegua
(p245)
¨¨ Parque Nacional Talampaya (p280)
¨¨ Parque Nacional El Rey (p233)
Best Places to Stay¨¨ Estancia las Carreras
(p264)
¨¨ Killa (p239)
¨¨ Kkala (p228)
¨¨ Posada El Arribo (p244)
When to Go
Feb Temperatures high but Carnaval celebrations worth seeing.
Jul & Aug Chilly up on the puna (Andean highlands), but pleasant around the Salta region.
Sep & Oct Top compromise: fewer tourists in Salta and acceptable spring temperatures.
F DNOSAJJMAMJ
Salta°C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm
2/50
10/250
4/100
6/150
0
8/200
20/68
10/50
0/32
40/104
30/86
-10/14
Salta ...........................221Cafayate .................... 236Quebrada de Cafayate .....................241Jujuy .......................... 242Quebrada de Humahuaca .......... 246Tucumán .................... 257Santiago del Estero ... 267La Rioja ...................... 274Chilecito .................... 278Parque Nacional Talampaya .................280
©Lonely¨Planet¨Publications¨Pty¨Ltd
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