Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring Quebrada de Humahuaca
craftsmen. South of the main
plaza is
Museo Histórico
Provincial Juan Lavalle
, which
houses colonial paintings and
artifacts. Its claim to fame, how-
ever, is its reputation as a crime
scene. General Juan Lavalle was
assassinated here during
Argentina's civil wars in the
1840s. The hole through which
the lethal bullet passed is still
visible. Three blocks west of the
museum is the 18th-century
Capilla de Santa Bárbara
, with
an outstanding collection of
reli gious paintings.
Quiet for most of the year,
Jujuy offers little apart from
leisurely strolls through its
cobblestoned streets. It is an
excellent base from which
to explore the province's
remote areas including the
two cloud forest national
parks, Calilegua
(see p205)
and
the less accessible Barítu.
The easiest way to explore the stunning
quebrada
landscape
is to drive along Ruta Nacional 9, which runs from the picture-
postcard village of Purmamarca to the junction for the idyllic
hamlet of Iruya. The road up is flanked by the towering walls
of the massive multicolored gorge and the drive is especially
beautiful in the mornings and evenings when the western
side is soaked by sunrise and the eastern wall is hit by sunset,
bringing out the flaming orange and vermilion of the
mountains. To see man-made wonders along this ancient
route - whitewashed colonial chapels, lush fields of quinoa,
and alpaca farms - take detours to the villages of Tilcara,
Uquia, Maimará, and Humahuaca.
Purmamarca
40 miles (65 km) NW of Jujuy.
*
2,100.
n
Rivadavia and Jujuy.
The picturesque village of
Purmamarca nestles at the base
of the gorge of the same name.
It owes its fame to the hill that
over looks it,
Cerro de Siete
Colores
(Hill of Seven Colors).
The contrasting shades of the
rock's strata range from grimy
orange to psychedelic purple
and are at their glittering best
just after sunrise. A signposted
route takes visitors to a viewing
point just outside the village.
Cerro de Siete Colores under a blue sky in Purmamarca
San Salvador de Jujuy
75 miles (121 km) N of Salta.
*
240,000.
~
@
n
Gorriti 295, (0388)
422-1326
.
∑
turismo.jujuy.gov.ar
Museo Histórico Provincial Juan
Lavalle
Lavalle 256.
Te l
(0388) 422-
1355
.
Open
8am-noon, 4-8pm Mon-
Sat
.
&
8
10am, 11:30am, 5pm, &
6:30pm.
=
The capital of Jujuy province,
San Salvador de Jujuy is the
highest provincial capital in the
country. Located 4,166 ft
(1,270 m) above sea level, and
flanked by Ríos Grande and Xibi
Xibi, the city enjoys a temperate
climate. Founded in 1593, Jujuy
was destroyed and rebuilt
several times due to wars and
earthquakes. The city's history
can best be traced through its
churches that are scattered
around the central Plaza
General Belgrano.
To the west stands the
Catedral
, which was built in
1606. Among its treasures is the
Baroque pulpit, designed by
local artisans in the 18th
century. Its carvings, which
depict Biblical subjects such as
Jacob's Ladder, are richly detailed
and show both the skill of the
craftsmen and the enduring
eloquence of religious art.
Two blocks west of the plaza
is the neo-colonial
Iglesia San
Francisco
, which was built
between 1925 and 1927. It is
best known for its Spanish
Baroque pulpit, which was
carved by 18th-century Bolivian
Posta de Hornillos
45 miles (73 km) NW of Jujuy.
Open
9am-6pm Wed-Mon.
Built in 1772, this wonderfully
evocative adobe-walled
building was once a stop-off
point on the route that con-
nected the colonial viceroyalties
of Upper Peru (now Bolivia) and
Río de la Plata. In 1979, it was
converted into a museum and
its 19 rooms display old
furniture, weapons of war,
costumes, and historical docu-
ments from the 18th and 19th
centuries. Its other claim to
fame is that General Belgrano
rested here after defeating the
Spanish in the battles of
Tucumán and Salta in 1813.
Grand interior of the Iglesia San Francisco in
San Salvador
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
