Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
North of Jujuy, the memorable Quebrada de Humahuaca snakes its way upward toward
Bolivia. It's a harsh but vivid landscape, a dry yet river-scoured canyon overlooked by
mountainsides whose sedimentary strata have been eroded into spectacular scalloped
formations that reveal waves of colors. The palette of this Unesco World Heritage-listed
valley changes constantly, between shades of creamy white and rich, deep reds; the rock
formations in places recall a necklace of sharks' teeth, while in others they look like the
backbone of some unspeakable beast.
Dotting the valley are dusty, picturesque, indigenous towns offering a fine variety of
places to stay, plus historic adobe churches, and homey restaurants serving warming
lo-
cro
(a stew of maize, beans, pumpkin, and meat) and llama fillets. The region has experi-
enced a tourism boom in recent years and gets very full in summer, when accommoda-
tion prices soar.
There are many interesting stops along this colonial post route between PotosÃ
(Bolivia) and Buenos Aires; buses run every 40 minutes or so, so it's quite easy to jump
off and on as required. The closest place to hire a car is Jujuy. The Quebrada shows its
best side early in the morning, when colors are more vivid and the wind hasn't got up.
