Argentina - Salta

Lying in the Lerma Valley, Salta is the capital city of the homonymous province. It is situated in one of the most fertile and pleasant sites created by nature in this region. It is located at 1,187 meters (3,895 feet) above sea level, at the foot of 20 de Febrero and San Bernardo mountains. The city’s characteristic Hispanic architecture makes it stand out from other cities in the country. The houses, streets, hundred year old monuments and narrow pavements are reminders of the colonial spirit from the times of the city’s foundation.
 
The tourist circuit includes visiting the city’s numerous statues, the San Francisco church, the Cathedral and the interesting historical and anthropological museums. The outlying area offers possibilities for various tours, the most renowned and attractive of them all being "El Tren a las Nubes" (The Train to the Clouds) tour. It consists of a train journey that ascends through clouds as it crosses the Andes at 4,220 metres (13,846 feet) above the sea level.
 
Salta’s climate is hot in summer and warm and dry in Winter, with an annual average temperature of approximately 22ºC, which makes the city an ideal place to visit all year around.
 
Here are some of the excursions from Salta that we include in out itineraries:

Train to the Clouds

One of the most fascinating train journeys in the world that takes you to the clouds and reaches a height of 4,200 meters (13,846 feet) during its 217 km (135 miles) journey.
 
It is one of the highest railways in the world, picking its way through the high peaks of the Andes and surrounded by striking sceneries. The train departs from the city of Salta, passes through Valle de Lerma valley, enters the Quebrada del Toro region and finally reaches the region of La Puna.
 
The train takes its name ‘Tren a las Nubes’, from the clouds that can often be seen under the railway bridges and on the mountain slopes. The train leaves from General Belgrano station in the city with a height of 1187 meters (3,895 feet) above sea level, and ends its journey at the renowned La Polvorilla viaduct.
 
The journey lasts approximately 16 hours. The train travels 217km. (135 miles) and passes through or over 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals, and 2 zigzags. There are two stops during the trip, one at San Antonio de los Cobres station, and the other one at the famous La Polvorilla viaduct.
 
The train services include a dining car, bilingual guides and medical assistants for passenger that may be affected by the lack of oxygen caused by the height. As you reach the different stations, local villagers sell craftwork, clothes, and regional products as interesting souvenirs of the trip.

Ferrobus al Cielo (Rail bus to the Sky)

The Ferrobus al Cielo excursion is a service that emphasizes the history, culture, anthropology and landscapes of the journey to San Antonio de Los Cobres. You can appreciate the magnificent railway works of the Train to the Clouds infrastructure, and be surprised by the beautiful landscapes of mountains, gorges and valleys of north-western Argentina. The duration of the trip is 12 hours driving around 390km (242 miles) in total and includes lunch without drinks.
 
The route of the trip is parallel to that of the railway in the Quebrada del Toro region, where you can observe the most outstanding engineering of the railway at Viaducto del Toro, the Alisal and Chorrillos zigzags, Viaducto el Candado, seeing places of great beauty such as El Golgotha and Alfarcito. The excursion includes a visit the ruins and archaeological museum of the historic city of Santa Rosa de Tastil. The tour continues to Finca La Encruncijada country estate in order to ascend La Cuesta de Muñano reaching Abra Blanca at a height of 4,080 metres (13,387 feet) and on to San Antonio de los Cobres and La Polvorilla viaduct. The tour returns from this point.

Cachi and Los Cardones National Park

The tour heads south from the city of Salta crossing the Valle de Lerma valley to the village of El Carril. The journey continues to Chicoana ascending steadily and leaving behind the Quebrada de los Laureles ravine, the fertile Quebrada de Escoipe gully, Maray, and Cuesta del Obispo ascent with panoramic views the enchanted valley of Valle Encantado.
 
The highest point of the trip is Piedra del Molino at 3,348 meters (10,985 feet) above sea level where there will be panoramic views of Nevado de Cachi y Payogasta. The excursion will visit Cachi where you will spend some time at the archaeological museum and church.
 
Then tour then begins the descent through the Los Cardones National Park following the Tin Tin straight, passing the town of Payogasta and on to Cachi, the second most important town in the Valle Calchaquí valley. This town is located 162 km (100 miles) from Salta and its main attractions are its eighteenth-century church, the museum and its picturesque grand old houses.

Cafayate

The tour heads south from the city of Salta towards the Los Valles Calchaquíes valleys passing through the picturesque villages of Cerrillo, Coronel Moldes, La Merced, El Carril y La Viña in order to see the cultivation of tobacco and villages with notable colonial architecture that were linked to the independence struggle.
 
At this point the tour enters the mountain range called Quebrada de las Conchas (or Cafayate) where you can indulge in the fanciful images created by wind and water, and visit the Garganta del Diablo y al Anfiteatro (devil's throat) and Anfiteatro (natural amphitheatre).
 
Arriving in Cafayate, located 183 km (114 miles) from the city of Salta, you will visit the historic centre, the main square, and the cathedral dating from the nineteenth century. Then tour then visits the wine museum where you can see exhibits from some wineries and sample their products