A private 4x4 expedition crossing the Puna de Atacama from south to north and connecting some of the most remote and extraordinary landscapes in Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy. Over eight days, we travel through valleys, archaeological sites, historic routes, volcanic landscapes, high-altitude lagoons and vast salt flats. The journey includes Fiambalá, the Pumice Stone Field, the Galán Volcano caldera, Antofalla, the Cono de Arita, Tolar Grande, the Devil’s Desert, Susques, the Cusi Cusi Valley of the Moon and the Quebrada de Paicone. The expedition eventually reaches Santa Catalina and La Quiaca, in the far north of Argentina, before returning to Salta through the Quebrada de Humahuaca.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
• Starting point: guests’ accommodation in Salta
• Finishing point: guests’ accommodation in Salta
• Tour type: private and tailor-made
• Recommended group size: 2 to 4 travellers
• Vehicle: private 4x4
• Guide: professional driver-guide in English or Spanish
• Overnight stays: Puerta de Corral Quemado (1), Fiambalá (1), El Peñón (1), Antofagasta de la Sierra (1), Tolar Grande (1), Susques (1) and Santa Catalina (1)
• Physical difficulty: low
• Journey demands: long driving days, remote roads and frequent travel through high-altitude areas
• Maximum altitude: approximately 4,750 metres above sea level, at the rim of the Galán Volcano caldera
• Season: April to December, subject to weather and road conditions

DAY 1 · SALTA – CAFAYATE – VALLEYS OF CATAMARCA – PUERTA DE CORRAL QUEMADO

We leave our guests’ accommodation in Salta in the morning and travel towards Cafayate through the Quebrada del Río Las Conchas. Along the way, we stop at its main geological formations and viewpoints. After a brief visit to Cafayate, we continue along National Route 40 towards Colalao del Valle and the Quilmes area. We then enter the province of Catamarca and travel through the Yocavil Valley. We pass through Santa María and Hualfín before continuing to Puerta de Corral Quemado, where our first day comes to an end.

• Starting point: Salta
• Finishing point: Puerta de Corral Quemado
• Approximate distance: 417 km
• Maximum altitude: 2,031 m
• Altitude at the end of the day: 1,860 m
• Accommodation: local inn in Puerta de Corral Quemado
• Meals included: breakfast, when applicable according to the accommodation used before the tour
• Lunch: not included

DAY 2 · PUERTA DE CORRAL QUEMADO – BELÉN – LONDRES – ADOBE ROUTE – FIAMBALÁ

After breakfast, we leave Puerta de Corral Quemado and travel towards Belén. We then continue to Londres, a small town near the Inca archaeological site of El Shincal de Quimivil. We visit the archaeological site and its museum to learn about the importance of this settlement during the expansion of the Inca Empire into what is now Argentina. From Londres, we continue along paved roads to the junction of National Routes 40 and 60. National Route 60 then takes us towards Fiambalá. Along the way, we travel through the area known as the Adobe Route, a historic circuit featuring chapels, churches and old colonial buildings constructed mainly from adobe. At the end of the day, we arrive in Fiambalá, where we spend the night.

• Starting point: Puerta de Corral Quemado
• Finishing point: Fiambalá
• Approximate distance: 261 km
• Maximum altitude: 1,900 m
• Altitude at the end of the day: approximately 1,500 m
• Accommodation: hotel in Fiambalá
• Meals included: none

DAY 3 · FIAMBALÁ – LAS PAPAS – VOLCÁN BLANCO – PUMICE STONE FIELD – EL PEÑÓN

We leave Fiambalá and begin our ascent towards the Puna de Atacama as both the region and the surrounding landscape gradually change. We travel north until reaching a point where the conventional road simply disappears. For approximately two hours, we follow the course of the Las Papas River, crossing it numerous times along the way. Eventually, we reach the small settlement of Las Papas, where we stop for lunch beneath the shade of large willow trees. After lunch, we begin a steep ascent along a mining track towards the Volcán Blanco caldera. This section involves a considerable gain in altitude as we climb to approximately 4,000 metres above sea level. We continue through immense dunes of volcanic sand until reaching the Pumice Stone Field. Its enormous formations are the result of an ancient explosive volcanic eruption that occurred approximately 5,000 years ago and were later shaped by wind erosion. After exploring this volcanic landscape, we continue along high-altitude tracks until joining the regular road to El Peñón. Here, we stay overnight at a local guesthouse.

• Starting point: Fiambalá
• Finishing point: El Peñón
• Approximate distance: 150 km
• Maximum altitude: approximately 4,000 m
• Altitude at the end of the day: approximately 3,400 m
• Road conditions: paved roads, gravel roads, riverbed crossings and mountain tracks
• Accommodation: El Peñón
• Meals included: none

DAY 4 · EL PEÑÓN – GALÁN VOLCANO CALDERA – ANTOFAGASTA DE LA SIERRA

After breakfast, we collect our picnic and begin the journey towards the Galán Volcano caldera, an immense volcanic structure approximately 35 kilometres in diameter. We travel along a mountain track that is generally well maintained. After approximately two hours, we reach Laguna Grande, which is home to large concentrations of Andean flamingos, Andean geese, ducks and coots between spring and autumn. Vicuñas and foxes can also be seen in the surrounding area. From the lagoon, we ascend to the rim of the caldera at approximately 4,750 metres above sea level. From here, we can appreciate the immense scale of this volcanic formation before descending into its interior. Inside the caldera, we visit Laguna Diamante and an area of geothermal activity, where small geysers and natural hot springs emerge from the ground. We return towards El Peñón along the same track, stopping at several volcanic rock formations created by the Galán eruption approximately 2.5 million years ago. Once back in El Peñón, we rejoin the paved road and continue to Antofagasta de la Sierra, the main town in the Catamarca Puna, where we spend the night.

• Starting point: El Peñón
• Finishing point: Antofagasta de la Sierra
• Approximate distance: 150 km
• Maximum altitude: approximately 4,750 m
• Altitude at the end of the day: approximately 3,320 m
• Accommodation: Antofagasta de la Sierra
• Meals included: none

DAY 5 · ANTOFAGASTA DE LA SIERRA – ANTOFALLA SALT FLAT – CONO DE ARITA – TOLAR GRANDE

We leave Antofagasta de la Sierra and begin our ascent towards Abra de Calalaste, a high mountain pass situated at approximately 4,650 metres above sea level. Along the way, we cross a high-altitude wetland fed by freshwater springs, which may freeze during winter. The presence of water and vegetation attracts large numbers of vicuñas, which can often be seen beside the road. From a natural viewpoint, we contemplate the immense Antofalla Salt Flat before descending to its level. In this area, we visit Pozo Bravo Lagoon, home to microbial communities adapted to extreme environmental conditions. These include stromatolite formations of enormous scientific interest because of their connection with some of the earliest forms of life on Earth.We continue to Antofalla, a small village with approximately fifty inhabitants, where we stop for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we continue towards the province of Salta and reach the southern end of the Arizaro Salt Flat. Here, we visit the Cono de Arita, a remarkable geological formation whose almost perfectly symmetrical shape rises above the vast plain. Finally, we cross the Arizaro Salt Flat and arrive in Tolar Grande, where we spend the night.

• Starting point: Antofagasta de la Sierra
• Finishing point: Tolar Grande
• Approximate distance: 250 km
• Maximum altitude: approximately 4,650 m at Abra de Calalaste
• Altitude at the end of the day: approximately 3,500 m
• Accommodation: Tolar Grande
• Meals included: none

DAY 6 · TOLAR GRANDE – OJOS DE MAR – DEVIL’S DESERT – LA POLVORILLA – SUSQUES

We leave Tolar Grande and visit Ojos de Mar, three natural springs emerging near the edge of the salt flat, just a few minutes from the village.Over the following 50 kilometres, we travel through an extraordinary landscape of red earth, salt flats and quartz and gypsum formations. This area includes the places known as the Devil’s Salt Flat, the Devil’s Desert, the Red Desert and the Seven Curves, whose landscapes resemble scenes from a science-fiction film set on another planet.We continue across the vast expanses of the Puna, passing Salar de Pocitos and Olacapato before rejoining National Route 40. Further along the route, we pass beneath the famous La Polvorilla Viaduct, one of the most iconic engineering works associated with the historic railway and the present-day Train to the Clouds. We continue towards the border between Salta and Jujuy, where we can see the impressive basaltic lava flows associated with the Tuzgle Volcano. After entering the province of Jujuy, we pass through Sey and Huancar before arriving in Susques, where the day’s journey ends.

• Starting point: Tolar Grande
• Finishing point: Susques
• Approximate distance: 300 km
• Maximum altitude: 4,560 m
• Accommodation: Susques
• Meals included: none

DAY 7 · SUSQUES – OLAROZ SALT FLAT – CORANZULÍ – CUSI CUSI – QUEBRADA DE PAICONE – SANTA CATALINA

The Jujuy Puna offers a striking contrast to the landscapes previously explored in Catamarca and Salta. More abundant vegetation, small settlements and areas of mining activity create a different environment, although it remains equally remote and expansive. We leave Susques and look out over the vast Olaroz Salt Flat from the road. We then continue towards Coranzulí, a small village with a picturesque square and a church of colonial origin. We follow National Route 40 northwards, crossing areas of significant mining activity until reaching Cusi Cusi. Near the village, we stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Valley of the Moon, a remarkable landscape of eroded formations and intense colours. From Cusi Cusi, we continue along a gravel road, cross the Oros River and enter the Quebrada de Paicone. For approximately 11 kilometres, the riverbed itself becomes the road, creating one of the most distinctive sections of the entire expedition.  At the end of the day, we arrive in Santa Catalina, one of Argentina’s northernmost villages, where we spend the night.

• Starting point: Susques
• Finishing point: Santa Catalina
• Approximate distance: 272 km
• Maximum altitude: 4,000 m
• Accommodation: Santa Catalina
• Meals included: none

DAY 8 · SANTA CATALINA – LA QUIACA – QUEBRADA DE HUMAHUACA – SALTA

We leave Santa Catalina and travel towards La Quiaca, a border town situated in the far north of Argentina. An international bridge separates it from Villazón in Bolivia. From La Quiaca, we begin our return journey to Salta on paved roads, travelling from north to south through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding natural, historical and cultural significance. Along the way, we pass through Humahuaca, Tilcara and Purmamarca. Because of the length of this final day, these towns form part of the panoramic journey and extended visits are not included. We continue towards San Salvador de Jujuy and then take the old National Route 9. This road passes through an area of lush subtropical vegetation, creating a striking contrast with the arid and desert landscapes experienced during the previous days. Finally, we re-enter the province of Salta. We expect to arrive in the city late in the day, directly at our guests’ accommodation.

• Starting point: Santa Catalina
• Finishing point: Salta
• Approximate distance: 463 km
• Estimated duration: full-day journey
• Accommodation: not applicable; the tour ends in Salta
• Meals included: none

ALTITUDE

The itinerary allows for a gradual ascent from the valleys of Catamarca into the Puna de Atacama. From the third day onwards, much of the journey takes place above 3,400 metres. The highest point is reached at the rim of the Galán Volcano caldera, situated at approximately 4,750 metres above sea level. Physical activity is relatively easy and mainly involves getting out of the vehicle for short walks and photographs. Nevertheless, the altitude, extreme temperatures and long driving days require travellers to be in good general health.

SEASON

The tour operates from April to December, subject to weather and road conditions.During winter, snow may affect the highest mountain passes in the Puna. Some sections may also be affected by rainfall, rising rivers, accumulated sand or temporary travel restrictions.

Whenever necessary, the itinerary may be adjusted to ensure the safety of our travellers.

OPERATION

This expedition travels along paved roads, gravel roads, mining tracks, riverbeds and remote high-altitude terrain.Journey times are approximate and may change depending on the weather, road and river conditions, fuel availability, access restrictions and instructions issued by local authorities.