Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Salta & the Northwest
by Charlie O'Malley
Red deserts, dusty adobe villages,
and spar kling white chur ches ar e what
you'll find in the nor thwestern par t of
Argentina. You might indeed think y ou
were in Bolivia or P eru as y ou sav or the
indigenous flair of a place steeped in his-
tory. Here you'll find the r uins of ancient
civilizations—be it the terraced settle-
ments of the Q uilmes I ndians or the
mysterious standing stones of the Tafi
tribe. You can gaz e upon the wonder ful
baroque art and colonial splendor of S alta
city. You can follo w the narrativ e of the
glorious G aucho Wars that beat off the
Spanish and then gav e rise to their o wn
strongmen, such as M artín G üemes and
Julio A. R oca. And her e begins RN 40,
that epic Andean r oadway that forms the
backbone of Argentina. I n the N orthwest
alone it passes b y vineyar ds, cactus hills,
rainforests, tobacco fields, sugar-cane
country, dinosaur par ks, and v ast empty
salt plains. All this and mor e make the
Northwest of Argentina the v ery heart of
South America.
EXPLORING THE REGION
The Northwest is best explored by car. Although there is bus service between most towns,
a car allows you to explore at ease the rainbow-colored mountain ranges of
Humahuaca
or the rugged scenery of
Calchaquíes Valley.
Be prepared for long distances and hidden
marvels off the beaten track, such as the Indian settlement of
Quilmes,
the breathtaking
canyons of
Talampaya,
or the dinosaur r emains of
Ischigualasto.
Most towns, such as
Salta
and
Tilcara,
are best explor ed b y foot, and the wineries of
Cafayate
are easily
accessed by bicycle. Three days at a minimum to 5 days should allo w you enough time
to experience the flavor of the region.
Another way to discover the Northwest is aboard the
Tren a las Nubes (Train to the
Clouds)
, a daylong journey that takes you from Salta toward the Chilean border and
back. It runs only fr om April to N ovember. For more, see “ The Train to the Clouds ”
below.
1
SALTA
90km (56 miles) S of San Salvador de Jujuy ; 1,497km (928 miles) N of Buenos Air es; 1,268km (786 miles)
N of Mendoza
With its cloistered nuns and gaucho waiters, gilded chur ches and mountain mummies,
Salta province is a rich mix of all the things that make the Northwest so distinctive. Here
the old meets the ne w, and the old wins. Time trips at a mor e rhythmic pace, like the
hoof-clopping music
chacareras,
which pipes from every cafe and car. The city itself (pop.
500,000) is a sunny mix of colonial ar chitecture; friendly, gracious people; color ful his-
tory; and indigenous pride. Conser vative by nature, Salteños let their hair do wn during
Carnaval (Mardi Gras), when thousands come out for a parade of floats celebrating the
