What to see in Quebrada del Toro and Salinas Grandes (Argentina)

La city ​​of Salta It is one of the main stages in any tourism trip through the northwest of Argentina.

In addition to their cultural and gastronomic attractions, Salta It is a good base to do excursions in the surrounding area.

This area of the Argentine Andes It is spectacular and there is no shortage of possibilities.

What to see around Salta

So, for example, you can cross the Conchas Canyon but also Cafayate and go through the Calchaquíes valleys.

This route connects with the province of Tucumán. We took this route in reverse, to reach Salta , and we can recommend it for the beauty of the landscapes and the variety of its attractions.

Another highly recommended excursion from Salta It is the one that leads to the heights of The Andes by Lerma Valley, Quebrada del Toro and Atacama puna.

This route, which reaches Saint Anthony of the Coppers y Salinas Grandes, is one of the most spectacular that can be done in Argentina.

The journey is a continuous ascent through a narrow valley where erosion has shaped strange shapes on the slopes.

Where there is some land, the gigantic cacti called teasels, and at some time of the year the most showy flowers explode, giving a note of color to a parched landscape.

Where there is no land, living rock appears, dazzling with its brilliant colors.

There is some lost cemeteries in the middle of nowhere and that are perfectly distinguishable from the road although the villages to which they belong are not easily seen.

Train to the Clouds

This route can be done by car but to a large extent it continues parallel to the train track that reached the Chile border in the Socompa Pass.

Many of its structures are visible from the road, such as the viaducts.

That trip was popularly known, and rightly so, the Train to the Clouds due to the high altitude it reached on that route.

The line as such no longer works, but there is a tourist train so called, the Train to the Clouds, which allows you to explore one of the highest altitude railways in the world.

Sometimes the slope is very steep but the train, which is not a rack railway, overcomes all obstacles due to its masterful layout.

It is the work of the engineer Richard Maury and passes through 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts and 2 rollers.

Santa Rosa de Tastil in Quebrada del Toro

Saint Rose of Tastil It is one of the few towns in the ravine.

It is located just over 100 kilometers from Salta, but it feels like it is much further away.

Only a few dozen inhabitants live in the town, but even so it is the most inhabited point in this area, and where the school and the health post are located. There is no telephone signal.

It has a small archeological Museum about the nearby Tastil archaeological site and concentrates some artisans.

The museum is located in a former horse post and exhibits ceramics and textiles.

Tastil archaeological site

Wherever Quebrada del Toro opens to The puna, at 3.200 meters above sea level, just up the slope of Santa Rosa, are the ruins of the old town of Tastil.

We know of few archaeological sites located in such a place.

It seems impossible but a prosperous community of more than 2.000 inhabitants developed here for about a hundred years (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries). Its inhabitants were Atacameños that exploited the flocks that grazed in the puna.

The town extends for about 12 hectares and was abandoned after the conquest of the area by the Incas.

His memory was lost and was discovered at the end of the 20th century.

It has been partially restored so that the structures that made up this small city can be distinguished, which included homes, warehouses, corrals and ceremonial enclosures.

Higher up the ravine opens to the Atacama puna, a wide and relatively flat space that contrasts with the narrowness and slope of the ravine.

There are flocks of alpaca and some vicunas lonely women who wander through these solitudes, at the feet of the Nevado de Acay (5.716 m).

Saint Anthony of the Coppers

In the end it comes to Saint Anthony of the Coppers, a mining town where there is little to do except feel the difficulty of life at these altitudes.

With more than 5.000 inhabitants, it is the largest population in the entire area.

It is a town with a special atmosphere and light since it is located at 3.775 meters above sea level.

It is the place to find a restaurant to eat or even a hotel If you want to explore the area in more depth. There is also a certain offer of local crafts.

If you have a good vehicle. You can continue 22 more kilometers to the Polvorilla Viaduct.

You can also rent a taxi to travel this last stretch and observe the final destination of the Train to the Clouds., which currently only runs the section between Saint Anthony of the Coppers and the aforementioned viaduct.

This service does not operate every day, so you must check the travel dates on their website.

To make this almost mythical trip among railway fans and reach 4.200 meters of altitude with this means of transport, there are two possibilities.

One is to sign up for one full day excursion from Salta which follows by bus, with several stops, the itinerary that we have described before arriving at Saint Anthony of the Coppers, where you board the train.

Then the trip back to Salta is also made by bus.

The other option is travel on your own but also Saint Anthony of the Coppers and only purchase the train ticket until The Polvorilla.

It must be said that this viaduct, which describes a curve 223 meters long and has a maximum height of 63 meters above the ground, is one of the engineering marvels of the XNUMXth century, especially if we take into account its location.

On our last trip through the area we did not coincide with any train departures.

But many years ago, when this line was operating normally for the transportation of goods and passengers, we were able to make the complete trip to Socompa, on the border with Chile, and we can assure you that taking this trip, even if it is only a short distance, is a highly recommended and truly unforgettable experience.

Salinas Grandes

Our journey continued from Saint Anthony of the Coppers to Salinas Grandes with the objective of not returning to Salta, but continuing towards the Quebrada de Humahuaca, which is already in the province of Jujuy.

Salinas Grandes is a salt flat of more than 500 square km which makes up one of the most extraordinary panoramas of the route.

It is not as big and well-known as the Bolivian one Uyuni Salt Flats, but it is equally spectacular.

There is a parking spot where you can walk around this flat white world.

These high-altitude salt flats in the Andes form surprising and extraordinary landscapes.

Of course, to enjoy the experience, don't forget your hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.