Salta & the Andean Northwest - Argentina - page 450

fers. Typically, it's AR$350 to AR$450 per day for a week's hire, triple that for a 4WD.
You can find some good online offers booking well in advance.
Companies, even big names, are mostly slipshod operations. Mechanical problems are
common, and don't expect state-of-the-art roadside assistance: you're often better sorting
minor problems out yourself. Most offer big discounts for paying cash. Complaints are
frequent: we don't recommend specific operators. A list of providers is available on the
turismo.salta.gov.ar webpage.
The stretch between San Antonio de los Cobres and La Poma (en route to Cachi) is of-
ten 4WD only, but the ripio (gravel) road between San Antonio and Salinas Grandes is
normally passable. Always check with the provincial tourist office for current conditions.
You can't take rental cars into Bolivia, but it is possible to take them into Chile by
paying a bit extra and giving a few days' notice.
Getting Around
Bus 8A from San Martín near Buenos Aires runs to the airport (AR$2.50), otherwise it's
a AR$60 taxi ride.
Several local buses (AR$2.50) connect downtown with the bus terminal. For AR$6,
you can buy a chargeable tarjeta magnética (magnetic bus card) for local buses to avoid
having to carry the correct change.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
PARQUE NACIONAL EL REY
East of Salta, this national park ([e-mail]) is at the southern end of the
Yungas subtropical corridor and protects a gloriously biologically diverse habitat.
It's a beautiful, varied landscape ranging from meadowlands and low scrub
forest to subtropical cloudforest. There are various well-marked trails, some ac-
cessible by vehicle. You'll see lots of birdlife, and mammals such as peccaries and
brown brocket deer are often spotted. Laguna Los Patitos , 2km from park
headquarters, offers opportunities to observe waterbirds. Longer trails lead to
moss-covered Pozo Verde , a three- to four-hour climb to an area teeming with bird-
life. Other trails are of similar day-trip length and involve multiple river crossings.
Shorter 2km Sendero La Chuña heads out from the campsite and is a good intro-
duction to this ecosystem.
There is free camping at the park's headquarters, with a huge grassy area for
tents, toilets, drinkable water, cold showers and evening power but no shop.
Contact the APN office in Salta for up-to-date info. The closest non-camping ac-