Argentina’s Northwest Region is one of the country’s most traditional and geographically diverse regions. Find sleepy villages inhabited by Quechua people, cities decorated with grand colonial masterpieces and towns famous for winemaking. Visit millennia-old ruins and ride a train high up into the Andes mountain range. Take road trips through the Northwest Region’s landscape of arid deserts, mountainous jungles, red rock valleys and salt flats.
A great place to start your tour is Salta, known locally as Salta la Linda (Salta the Beautiful). Admire colonial churches, browse Inca artifacts at the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology and dance the night away at a peña folklórica music hall. Trundle high up into the Quebrada del Toro, pass Andean villages and cross a 13,845-feet (4,220-meter) high plateau on the Train to the Clouds.
Several scenic drives originate from Salta. Rent a car and travel south through the heart of the majestic Quebrada de las Conchas canyon to Cafayate. Take guided tours of Cafayate’s welcoming bodegas, famous for their production of torrontés white wines. Return via Ruta 40, made famous by Che Guevara’s motorbike journeys, and spend a night in charming Cachi.
North of Salta, the Camino de la Cornisa winds its way around forest-clad valleys to San Salvador de Jujuy. Continue north in the shadow of the Quebrada de Humahuaca to Purmamarca, home to the Hill of the Seven Colors. The towns of Tilcara and Humahuaca showcase a mix of Quechua heritage, flamboyant carnival celebrations and bohemian lifestyles.
Be sure to spend some time in Catamarca province, which shares a border with Chile. Admire the otherworldly landscapes of Campo de Piedra Gomez, Laguna Grande and Volcano Galan. The Quilmes Ruins, located to the south of the Calchaqui Valleys, is a highlight of Tucumán province. This was Argentina’s biggest pre-Hispanic settlement, home to the Calchaquí and Quilmes people.
Reach the Northwest Region by flying from Buenos Aires to Salta, San Salvador de Jujuy and San Miguel de Tucumán or travel on long-haul buses. Although generally mild, the region’s climate is as variable as its landscape so come prepared for all seasons.
