English
Español
Français
Salta is undoubtedly the most beautiful city in the Northwest, which earned it the nickname Salta la Linda (“Salta the beautiful”). Built in a magnificent setting, it still houses many colonial monuments and buildings in its center; its visit is worth two days.
Salta is a good starting point for excursions in the Northwest region of Argentina on organized tours, using local buses or with a rental vehicle. By road or on the Tren a las Nubes (“the train to the clouds”), it is possible to reach San Antonio de los Cobres, where you can discover the particularly well-preserved pre-Hispanic site of Tastil. Salta is the largest city in this region. Its geographical location makes it a strategic point for communications with Bolivia and north of Chile.
Climate in Salta
Located at an altitude of 1,187 m, Salta enjoys a temperate to mild climate, but with distinct seasons. Average temperatures range between 3 and 30°C. Frosts are not uncommon in July, during the southern winter.
The most notable is the division of the year into two major seasons: the summer season with abundant rains from November to March, and the winter or dry season, with a very low level of precipitation from April to October.
Salta, a colonial jewel
Salta is the Argentine city that has best preserved its colonial architecture. It has important buildings, such as the Cabildo, the Cathedral and the San Francisco church.
Built in 1582, the Cabildo (“town hall”) is the oldest building in Salta and has been declared a historical monument. Under its particularly elegant arcades is the Historical Museum of the North.
The San Francisco Church is a National Historic Monument. Built in 1796 on the site of a 16th-century sanctuary, it’s distinguished by its pink bell tower of very harmonious proportions. La Iglesia de San Francisco (“Saint Francis Church”) is one of the most beautiful religious buildings in the neoclassical style of the 19th century in Argentina. Its red façade and walls often appear on postcards of the city.
The Convent of San Bernardo is one of the city’s main wonders. Built in the 16th century, it is adorned with an admirable door (dating from 1726) made of carob wood.
The Archaeological Museum is another major attraction in the city centre is the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña (“High Mountain Archaeological Museum”), abbreviated MAAM, which displays items discovered in a high mountain sanctuary of the Inca civilisation, including the Llullaillaco Mummies.
The craft market, which brings together objects from the entire province, is also worth a visit. And to get a panoramic view of this magnificent city, you have to climb the hill of San Bernardo, 7 km from the center.
The Finca El Rey National Park is worth a visit of at least three days, due to the richness and rarity of its fauna and flora. This park is a true natural greenhouse. Within the lush vegetation, it’s pleasant to indulge in the pleasures of fishing, studying the fauna and flora or, quite simply, resting there.
The “Train to the Clouds”
The Tren a las Nubes, equipped with a dining car, operates every day for a journey through the Andes, from April to November. On a round trip of 438 km, the train to the clouds crosses 21 tunnels, 31 bridges and 13 viaducts. The track, whose rails do not have a rack system, is a marvel of engineering. However, the route is very steep and this technical feat, as well as the sumptuous landscapes that mark the route, make this journey an absolutely unforgettable adventure.
Quite quickly after setting off, we overlook the deep Quebrada del Toro (“Bull’s Throat”) from a height of 54 m. The train continues to climb until the last section, which connects San Antonio de los Cobres – former capital of the national territory of Los Andes, now disappeared – to the La Polvorilla viaduct. The U-turn is made with the breath taken away by this impressive steel carcass which unfolds, 63 m high and 224 m long, in the immensity of the Andean landscape. Between Salta station and the La Polvorilla viaduct, we go, in just over 200 km, from 1,200 m to 4,197 m above sea level!
So, will you, like me, be seduced by this region of Northwest Argentina?