By Robert Selwitz
The appeals of Salta, Argentina's oldest city, extend far beyond its borders. Most travelers who arrive from Buenos Aires via a flight that lasts just a little more than two hours savor Salta's colonial architecture, excellent cuisine and welcoming, decidedly laid-back atmosphere. Salta is also the ideal jumping-off point for escorted drives into the surrounding landscape.
Indeed, by adding several days to one's Salta city itinerary, it's possible to explore the shapes, colors and designs that have resulted from millions of years of seismic pressure and natural history. You don't want to tour this territory on your own, however. Road quality varies greatly, signage is limited — even for those who read Spanish — and the remoteness of much of the area makes fixing problems, whether navigational, mechanical or health-related, definitely not for novices.
To safely navigate Argentina's mountains my wife and I worked with Jacada Travel, who supplied a driver-guide and a car for a two-day trip. Noe, our driver, knew the territory intimately, spoke the language and read the (few and far between) road signs. He regularly linked our location and condition with his company's home base in Salta to ensure someone always knew exactly where we were.
An early highlight was Humahuaca, a small but historically important town that once was a critical connector for colonial Spanish who used it to link Cordoba with silver mines in Potosoi, now part of Bolivia. The town also has a rising staircase that fronts a 19th-century statue commemorating revolutionaries who fought to free Argentina from Spanish rule.
While the town is pleasant and colorful, and the central square and marketplace full of appealing crafts, mountain views from the Humahuaca Valley are unforgettable. Stunning purple, red and orange strata parallel the roadway. Particularly in early morning or late afternoon light, anyone with basic camera skills can capture very impressive pictures.
Throughout our travels there were cactuses in bloom, vicuna and other local animals, and perpetual views of jagged-edged purple, gray and black formations. These are the result of millennia of horizontal or uplift pressures that created often-bizarre natural designs.
All the while the altitude quickly rose, with some points exceeding 13,600 feet. This will become obvious to those who need to be wary of activity in thin air or who could react negatively to the quick rise from Salta's 3,780-foot level. Most travelers notice the difference but compensate by taking shorter breaths and moving at a slower pace.
After an overnight at Purmamarca, another very pleasant colonial town, we wended toward Salinas Grandes, the Great Salt Flats. This amazing sight is created as mineral-laden water from the surrounding mountains fills the rivers that feed the lake. With nowhere for the water to go, evaporation eventually leaves behind thick layers of various minerals, chiefly sodium chloride.
According to Noe, these flats cover some 3,200 square miles, just a tad under twice the size of Utah's Great Salt Lake. Salt-themed and related souvenirs are sold near "shore side," and visitors are free to actually walk on the exposed salt. From here we took an extensive drive marked by distant mountain vistas and a growing appreciation for those who survive in this otherworldly place.
Eventually we arrived at San Antonio de los Cobres, one terminus for the extraordinary Train to the Clouds. In season, it runs a round-trip service between there and Salta, covering 135 miles each way via a full-day excursion. According to our guide, the train trip is for true train devotees since the 22-miles-per-hour speed is too laid-back for many heavily scheduled tourists.
Indeed, the route our Jacada trip followed frequently encountered the trestles, viaducts and bridges that are part of the rail system that debuted in 1947. Originally intended to be part of a commercial link between Salta and Chile's port of Antofagasta, today the "Train to the Clouds" is a still-rolling remnant of one of Latin America's more intriguing and grandiose attempts to boost economic growth.
Back in Salta other intriguing trips on offer let visitors reach some very special places and still be back for dinner. For instance, a sojourn to Cafayate, heart of the region's winemaking, goes past fascinating red rock formations, mysterious canyons and plenty of lovely small towns.
Then there is Cachi, reached via valleys requiring four-wheel-drive vehicles, rides during which it is possible to spot condors. Staid and traditional Cachi itself is known for its colonial structures, cobblestoned streets and a feeling that, instead of a standard day trip, this truly is a drive back in time.
Of course the ultimate example of that kind of time travel will be found in Salta's Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, which was built to preserve extraordinary artifacts from the 22,110-foot-tall Mount Llullaillaco. The most famous exhibit here is of the deep-frozen corpses of three young children. Many believe they were ceremoniously sacrificed during pre-Inca days. The bodies of a 6- and 15-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy are shown in rotation, one at a time, and are cryogenically preserved at a temperature range that protects them from deterioration.
While the bodies are fascinating, equally interesting are displays of weavings, jewelry, tools and other artifacts that were found with and near the children. The museum is right on Nuevo Julio Square, the city's main gathering point. Also worth a visit is the Historical Museum of the North, located in the 17th- and 18th-century Cabildo that has long served as Salta's center of municipal government.
During daylight hours the plaza is often packed with shoppers, strollers, workers and families. Moderately priced hotels, restaurants and shopping, along with the 19th-century ornately domed Basilica Cathedral of Salta are other Plaza draws.
A short walk away is the San Francisco Church, whose origins date back to the city's late-16th-century founding, and the nearby convent that occupies another very old structure. While it isn't possible to enter, the magnificently carved door deserves attention.
Salta also boasts some unique dining and entertainment appeals. City boosters claim it has the world's best empanadas, and so do many restaurants. Odds are good that really fine examples of these meat, vegetable or cheese-stuffed semicircular pies can be enjoyed all over the city.
About 20 blocks west of the main plaza is La Casona del Molino, a thriving eatery in a former mansion. Here gauchos and other musicians roam from table to table and room to room hoping to trade songs for drinks. Extraordinary paradilla and sangria spice up evenings when the music starts around 9 p.m. and ends long after most non-Argentinians have gone to bed.
Also check out the restaurants and nightclubs that line Balcarce Street. Many of these spots were former warehouses that once stored outbound shipments for trains departing Salta's nearby train station.
WHEN YOU GO
Jacada Travel: www.jacadatravel.com
Legado Mitico Hotel, Bartolome Mitre 647, is an elegant, well-located former mansion featuring spacious rooms, excellent breakfasts, very helpful staff and dependable Wi-Fi: www.legadomitico.com/en/salta.
La Casona del Molino restaurant on Caseros Street doesn't have a website but offers excellent food.
Robert Selwitz is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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