Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Salinas Grandes
Bring sunglasses for this spectacular
salt plain
in a remote part of the puna, at some
3350m above sea level. A lake that dried up in the Holocene Era, this is now a 525-sq-
km crust of salt up to half a meter thick. On a clear day, the blinding contrast between the
bright blue sky and the cracked and crusty expanse of white is spellbinding.
The
salinas
(salt plains) are in Salta province, but most easily reached by heading west
along paved RP52 from Purmamarca in Jujuy province. About 5km west of the intersec-
tion of RP52 and the good
ripio
road that heads 97km to San Antonio de los Cobres,
there's a saltmining building; opposite, you can head onto the salt pan to check out the
rectangular basins from which the salt is periodically dug out. Artisans sell stone
carvings and llamas made from salt. A couple of places to buy drinks and food are on the
road nearby.
The only way of reaching the
salinas
by public transportation is to jump off a Chile- or
Susques-bound bus from Jujuy or Purmamarca. Check timetables carefully before doing
this; on some days it's possible to catch a bus back to Purmamarca a couple of hours
later, but on other days it's not. This road has enough traffic to hitchhike.
Otherwise, grab a
remise
from Purmamarca, or take a tour from Purmamarca, Tilcara,
Jujuy or Salta. From the latter, it's a hellishly long day, unless you opt to overnight.
The
salinas
are spectacular, but the otherworldly
salares
(salt flats) of southwestern
Bolivia are even more so; if you're heading that way (or have already been), you might
want to prioritize other attractions.
COCA CHEWING
In the northwest, you'll see signs outside shops advertising cocaand bica. The
former refers to the leaves, mainly grown in Peru and Bolivia, which are also used
to produce cocaine. Bicarefers to bicarbonate of soda, an alkaline that, when
chewed along with the leaves (as is customary among Andean peoples), releases
their mild stimulant effect and combats fatigue, altitude sickness and hunger.
Chewing coca and possessing small amounts for personal use is legal, but only in
Argentina's northwestern provinces. Taking them back down south or into Chile is
illegal, and there are plenty of searches.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Jujuy
