Salta: "The Most Spanish City" in Argentina. Open the left menu Salta Shopping and shops

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Los Cardones

Located near Cafayate, a place near Salta, Los Cardones National Park (Parque Nacional Los Cardones) attracts tourists with plantations of giant cacti, and sometimes there are even herds of guanacos. Talampaya National Park (Talampaya) in the province of La Rioja and the Valley of the Moon (Valle de la Luna or Ischigualasto) - best places for a colorful photo session and a pleasant relaxing break in the bosom of fragrant nature, scorched by the hot Argentinean sun.

3 things to do in Salta

1. Eat the city's signature dish - traditional empanadas, for example, at La Casona and El Corredor de las Empanadas restaurants during cafecito - a traditional evening dinner that no Argentine can afford to miss.
2. See in the rays of the setting sun the overflows of the Seven Colored Mountain (Cerro de Siete Colores), which is located in the small town of Purmamarkai. This is a unique place in terms of geology, thanks to the rich content of minerals, the land of which burns either red, green, or ocher-orange.
3. Buy a hand-knitted alpaca wool sweater from Indian traders in one of the many markets for only $8, and listen to a local music band that accompanies the buying and selling process.

There are many attractions on our beautiful planet, one of them is Argentina, more precisely city ​​of Salta.

General information:
The history of the city dates back to mid-April 1582. Probably, a city with such a long name has never been seen anywhere - “Muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de San Felipe de Lerma en el Valle de Salta”, which means "A very noble and faithful City of San Felipe Lerma in the Salta Valley". At the end of time, the name was reduced and in the present it is called briefly and beautifully - Salta. Often the city is also called very affectionately “beautiful Salta”, this is due to its favorable geographical location in the Lerma mountain valley at the very foot of the Andes.
Salta is an industrial and industrial center, in the development of which large financial investments were made by the Spaniards, Italians and Arabs. Thanks to this coalition, the city stepped over the financial crisis that arose in the 19th century. Oil refineries brought financial prosperity, as well as stimulation of the development of other industries, including tourism. Due to the growth of industry, the population of the city began to grow rapidly, at present the city has 462,051 people.
The mild and dry climate allows tourists to visit these places. all year round, in summer it is hot up to 37°C, while in winter the temperature varies between 21 - 25°C. The climate favors tourists, so tours to Argentina are made for 12 months a year, but the most popular time is in July and August.

Tourism:
The city combines touches of historical architecture and modern style. From the top of the mountain height, a great panorama opens up, full of light and greenery. All buildings have solid colors or a combination of two tones - white and brick beige. Gothic style prevails in almost all houses, it seems that you are in Spain. There is nothing strange in this, because the bulk of the population is Spaniards. The tourism sector is very developed, tours in Argentina and in its beautiful cities, among which city ​​of Salta attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. From Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, Salta is separated by only 1500 km, this distance can be covered in a two-hour flight.

What attracts in these distant places?!

• First, the statue in the form statues of the virgin mary And Christ located in the world famous Cathedral of San Francisco. The statue was erected in the 16th century and has great healing power and power over natural disasters, therefore it is considered miraculous. Every year, a stream of thousands of pilgrims visit the temple in the hope of a holy miracle.
• In second place - City Hall, here connoisseurs of history and architecture have something to "eat"
• These two important sights are joined by the cathedral, an inexhaustible number of churches, monasteries, including the famous Monastery of San Bernardo, and alley la florida, houses of Uriburu and a handicraft market with works of folk art.

This list is only a small part of interesting tourist attractions.

Salta- this is a real paradise for tourists, to visit this paradise you need to contact a professional travel agency. "Sardtravel" is exactly the tour operator with serious experience in the field of tourism in Latin America, which will provide you with a comfortable, safe and unforgettable trip.

9 de Julio Square is the central square of Salta and is surrounded by the most important and beautiful buildings in the city. The square remains the center to this day. public life cities.

The square was founded in 1582 and named after Independence Day - July 9th. The area was built in a beautiful valley and surrounded beautiful facades the oldest buildings in the city.

The area is abundantly planted with plants, including exotic palm trees, and is also decorated with sculptures. In the middle of the square stands the monument to Juan Antonio Alvarez, which is surrounded by 14 muses representing 14 provinces.

The square is a meeting place for people even at night. You can often hear street musicians here.

Coordinates: -24.78917000,-65.41023900

Gorge "Amphitheater"

The amphitheater is a huge gorge in the mountains, located north of the city of Cafayate, which has excellent acoustics. Hence its name.

The amphitheater impresses with its ideal rock formations. Looking at them, one gets the impression that this creation of nature was created by human hands.

Coordinates: -25.92717200,-65.72058700

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Statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ the Wonderworker in the Cathedral of San Francisco

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco are located in the city of Salta and are of great tourist and historical importance and are a well-preserved example of colonial architecture.

The temple began to be built in 1625, but modern look acquired in 1870. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1941. The monastery is known for its architectural beauty and richness of decoration. Appearance decorated in terracotta colors and Ivory, with complex ornaments. The main facade is decorated with garlands, flowers, inscriptions and shields. The windows are decorated with arches. The belfry of the monastery is divided into four floors.

The interior decoration is no less rich. In the temple there is a marble table of 1789, made especially for the temple. Also in the temple are statues of the Virgin Mary and Christ the Wonderworker, which are considered to have healing properties.

Coordinates: -24.79041600,-65.40843500

The Convent of San Bernardo is located east of the city center and is one of the oldest buildings in the city. In 1941, the monastery was declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina.

The exact date of construction is unknown, but approximately the monastery was built at the end of the 15th or early XVI century. The monastery was damaged by an earthquake and underwent several reconstructions, bearing different names. For some time the monastery served as a hospital. In the 18th century, the monastery chapel was repaired and unique wooden doors. The building is lined with snow-white clay, so you need sunglasses to admire the building.

Despite numerous reconstructions, the Monastery of San Bernardo is a harmonious example of colonial architecture and is significant in the history of the city.

Coordinates: -24.79040200,-65.40399600

House Uriburu

The Uriburu Historical Museum is a mansion formerly owned by the family of two Argentine presidents.

The house was purchased by Don José Uriburu in 1810 and has since been owned by his various heirs. The house was built in the second half of the 18th century in a typical colonial style, from unbaked bricks and tiles. The entrance from the street leads directly to the courtyard, which is typical for the buildings of that era. The house was used by the Uriburu family until 1947, when it was handed over to the government and converted into a museum and library in 1948.

The museum displays furniture, clothing and art from wealthy people from the 18th and 19th centuries. Also here are various exhibitions. The library contains more than 5,000 volumes of various literature.

Coordinates: -24.78988300,-65.40855300

Church of San Francisco

The Church of San Francisco (another option is the Church of St. Francis) is one of the most famous attractions of the Argentine city of Salta, to which most tourists invariably flock.

The building is famous for its beautiful architecture: the Church of St. Francis is made in the neoclassical colonial style and is a magnificent example of the architecture of that era.

The church was built for a very long time - more than a hundred years. The main frame was erected in the 18th century, but the facade and atrium were decorated by the Italian architect Luigi Giorgi only in 1870.

The inner courtyard of the church is decorated with a statue of St. Francis, after whom the church got its name. The facade of the cathedral is decorated with Latin sayings, as well as eclectic symbols.

The church also has a functioning monastery, also named after the saint - the Monastery of St. Francis.

Coordinates: -24.79007300,-65.40800300

Salinas Grandes

Salinas Grandes is one of the largest salt marshes in the world, covering an area of ​​over 8900 square kilometers.

Salinas Grandes is the bottom of a dry lake. Salt, potash and other minerals are commercially mined here.

The lake is also a popular tourist destination. They are attracted by vast lifeless territories resembling a desert. Visitors can see the process of extracting salt and other minerals.

Nearby you can visit the open-air salt restaurant right in the desert. Here you can also buy various figurines made of salt, which are made by local workers.

It should be recalled that when traveling to the salt marshes, it is necessary to stock up on a large amount of water, since there is nowhere to get it.

Coordinates: -23.71589600,-66.00008000

Wine Museum in Cafayate (Province of Salta)

The Museum of Viticulture and Winemaking of the city of Cafayate was opened in 1981 and was founded on the site of an old winery that has been operating since 1888 and the interior of that century has been preserved inside. miscellaneous items antiquities associated with the manufacture and storage of wine in this wine-growing region. The exposition of the museum contains various thematic exhibitions, moments of geography and history and other aspects of wine production.

The museum is located in the province of Salta, in northern Argentina at the foot of the Andes. The region produces the iconic Torrontes variety, which is considered the only original grape variety of Argentina. The Wine Museum is, above all, a place that conveys the aromas, colors and sensations associated with the culture, history and production of wine in Cafayate.

The new wing, renovated in 2011, of the museum houses multimedia displays that reflect the technological innovation of the wine industry. The old wing of the museum retains its traditional images and focuses on the history and tradition of grape growing and wine production. The museum has a permanent exhibition area and other temporary exhibitions, laboratories for scientific research and household items. The museum also houses a café and a gift shop.

Coordinates: -26.07575000,-65.97607900

The most popular attractions in Salta with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Salta on our website.

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More attractions in Salta

In the province of Salta, there are two main natural and geographical areas. In the east - hot semi-desert plains, with a slight slope to the east. From the northwest to the southeast, these steppes are crossed by large rivers, originating on the wet slopes of the Andes, in the upper reaches, as a rule, flowing in the middle of the swampy valleys of the foothills. Further, leaving the plain, they break up into many branches, begin to wind, small rivers and branches, in the end, disappear among the dry campos, and large ones reach the Lower Chaco swamps in the neighboring provinces of Chaco and Formosa and carry their waters to the Parana or its tributary Paraguay. One of the largest rivers is Pilcomayo (1590 km), or "bird" in the Quechua language (many birds nest on the banks), which serves as a natural border with Paraguay. The other two largest are Bermejo (about 1600 km) and Rio Salado (1300 km), which in Salta is successively named Guachinas (in the upper reaches), Juramento and Rio de Pasaje.

Approximately in the middle of the province, west of longitude 64°W, the eastern foothills of the Andes begin. They are represented by a series of parallel meridionally elongated ridges with separate peaks up to 2000-4000 m. Between the ridges there are rather wide valleys of mountain rivers. In the south, there are two large reservoirs formed after the construction of a hydroelectric power station.

To the west of the capital of Salta begins the main massif of the Andes - the Oriental Cordillera, their most significant ridge in the province - Calalaste. Behind the ranges - the Atacama Plateau (Puna de Atacama) - the southernmost part of the colossal Altiplano Plateau - a cold mountainous plain, part of the Pune highland ecoregion, with separate parallel mountain ranges stretching from north to south. With almost no river flow and low rainfall, water accumulates in tectonic depressions, forming lagoons and salt marshes, sometimes reaching solid sizes: for example, Arizaro, Salinas Grandes and Rincón. The lagoons are home to tens of thousands of pink flamingos, as well as the Andean avocet and Andean goose. Around the lagoons live vicuñas, Darwin rhea.

Nature

The extreme aridity of the environment, poor soil and high daily temperature range (up to 43°C) explain the appearance of endemic species of flora and fauna that have adapted to such conditions.

In flat areas, the water dries quickly and large salt marshes are formed, such as Arizaro with an area of ​​\u200b\u200b1600 km 2 or Salinas Grandes - 212 km 2 of a salty crust 30 cm thick or with such a characteristic name for a lifeless place as Ombre Muerto (Dead Man).

A unique natural formation on the southern edge of the Arizaro salt marsh - Cono de Arita: an ideal cone with a relative height of about 200 m at 3689 m above sea level. The reason for the formation of the cone has not yet been established. It is assumed that it was the ceremonial center of the Inca empire.

Rich deposits of iron, copper, marble and onyx have been found in the salt marshes.

The western border of the plateau is the Andes, a series of high mountains and volcanoes, including the highest point of the province, the stratovolcano Llyullaillaco. It is also considered the highest active in the world, although some researchers believe that the highest is the Ecuadorian Cotopaxi.

It stands on the border of Argentina and Chile. The last time it erupted was in 1877. In 2001, an archaeological discovery was made: the mummies of Lullaillaco were found, after which the volcano was declared a national historical monument of Argentina.

There are several national parks on the territory, including Cordones and Baritu. Cardones is the local name for a 10-meter-high cactus of the Echinopsis genus growing everywhere. Fossil remains of 70 million years old have been found in the park. Baritu is the only area in the country where there is a section of the Yungas ecoregion - the eastern foothills of the Andes with a warm and humid climate for most of the year and tropical forests in which the sebil, guava, jacaranda and bakout grow, the jaguar, the spectacled bear and the brown-throated sloth live.

In economic terms, the central and southeastern parts of the province are better developed, where oil and gas are produced, Agriculture and laid railroads and highways; west - high desert, east - semi-desert Gran Chaco.

They say that if you walk between the ruins of the ancient cities of Tastil and Titikonte, you can hear the voices of those who fell in battle, protecting the cities from the enemy. Maybe it's the wind that walks between the cracked stones...

Story

The indigenous people of the mountainous and desert regions of present-day Salta are atakameno, also known as atacama and likan-antai. They spoke the Kunsa language, which disappeared by the middle of the 20th century. and today replaced by Spanish. Their distant ancestors, who apparently lived on these lands for thousands of years, were nomad hunters, later they mastered agriculture and switched to a semi-sedentary way of life. About 3 thousand years ago, they began to breed llamas and grow corn.

Atacamenyo created the city-state Tastil - the largest of the pre-Columbian in the territory of modern Argentina. Its ruins lie at an altitude of 3200 m. The city flourished at the end of the 15th century, its population exceeded 2000 people. In the same century, the Incas captured it, the population was expelled.

The remains of Pukar Titikonte, an ancient fortress with buildings surrounded by square and round terraces, have also been preserved.

The first Spanish conquistador to see these places in 1535 was Diego de Apmagro. During the XVI-XVII centuries. the Spaniards tried several times to establish a settlement in these inhospitable places, but all the buildings were burned by the Indians and abandoned. The lucky city of San Felipe de Lerma del Valle del Salta, or simply Salta, is the current capital of the province, founded in 1582.

By 1776, the area became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, then - the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. Since 1782 - in the office of San Miguel de Tucuman, then - Salta de Tucuman, whose capital until 1792 was the city of Salta.

In 1810, the population of the future province sided with the May Revolution and sent their own army from the militia. During the Argentine War of Independence, the capital fell several times into royalist hands. During the occupation, Salta became the center of a guerrilla struggle - the Gaucho war. Attacks by pro-Spanish troops continued until 1826.

Due to the border position and the frequent change of power in the XIX century. some areas were part of Bolivia several times. The border issue was finally settled by 1889.

The inhabitants call themselves saltsegno. They created a kind of fusion of Catholicism with the local faith in Pachamama - the Mother of Humanity, making offerings to the earth under the reading of Catholic prayers.

Saltseno know a lot of legends, one of the most popular is about the origin of the region. A long time ago, the gods decided to plant corn here and plowed the whole region. But something distracted them, and the land remained carved with traces of "divine plowing" - valleys and mountain ranges.

The economy is based on oil and gas production. Metal ores have been found, but development is not being carried out due to export difficulties. Several hydroelectric power plants have been built on the rivers, supplying electricity to neighboring provinces.

The main city, founded by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma, is located at an altitude of 1187 m between two rivers in a valley surrounded by mountains. The Spaniards turned it into a transit point on the way between Lima and Buenos Aires. The city remains an important junction of railways and highways today. Salta is the center of the region of irrigated agriculture, mainly some industrial crops and citrus fruits are grown. In the city itself, buildings of the Spanish colonial period have been preserved: in particular, the cabildo - the building of the city assembly.

general information

Location : northern Argentina.
Administrative division : 23 departments, 58 municipalities.

Administrative center : Salta - 535,303 people (2010).
Cities: San Ramon de la Nueva Oran - 82,413 people, Tartagal - 79,990 people, General Guemes - 32,625 people, Methane - 29,579 people. (2010).
Educated: 1814
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Guarani, Chiriguano, Wichi, Aymara.
Ethnic composition : Argentines, Mestizos, Colla, Guarani, Afro-Argentines.
Religion: Catholicism.
Currency unit : Argentine peso.
Rivers: Pilcomayo, Bermejo, Juramento.
lagoons: De los Pozuelos, Vilama and Guayatayoc.
Salt marshes: Arizaro, Salinas Grandes, Rincon, Incahuasi, Cuarón, Rio Grande, Ombre Muerto.
Neighboring countries and provinces : in the north - Bolivia, in the northeast - Paraguay, in the east - Formosa, in the southeast - Chaco, in the south - Santiago del Estero, Tucuman and Catamarca, in the west - Chile, surrounds Jujuy from the south and east.

Numbers

Square: 155,488 km2.
Population: 1 333 365 people (2015).
Population density : 8.5 people / km 2.
highest point : 6739 m, Lullaillaco volcano (Puna de Atacama).

Other peaks: 6380 m, El Libertador General San Martin; 6095 m, Arakar volcano.

Climate and weather

Extremely diverse for the tropics : from the high mountain deserts of Puna in the west, the humid slopes of the Andes and foothills in the center, the tropical jungle in the north, to the semi-desert steppes of the Gran Chaco in the east.
January average temperature : high plateau +16°С, Salta +21°С.
July average temperature : high plateau +8°С, Salta +10°С.
Average annual rainfall : high plateau - from 100 mm, in the east - 500 mm, eastern slopes of the Andes - 1000-1500 mm, Salta - 750 mm.
Average annual relative humidity : west - 0-25%, center - 35-65%, east - 50-60%, north - 30-75%

Economy

GRP: US$6.743 billion (2012), per capita - US$5280 (2012).
Minerals : oil, natural gas (Madrejones, Campo Duran), iron, gold, copper, silver, tin, sulfur, onyx, marble, rock salt.
Industry: oil refining, light (tanning), woodworking, food (wine-making, sugar-making, dairy), tobacco.
hydroelectric power : HPP "El Tunal" and "Cabra Corral".
Agriculture : crop production (sugarcane, tobacco, rice, citrus fruits, potatoes, peppers, cotton), animal husbandry (horse breeding, cattle, goats).
traditional crafts : llama wool products, basket weaving, ceramics, wood carving, leather, horn and silver products.
Services sector: tourist, transport, trade.

Attractions

Natural

Cardones, Baritu and El Rey National Parks

Natural Monuments of Lagoon De los Potzuelos (1981)

Laguna de Vilama Nature Reserve (2000)

Cone Arita

Volcano Llullaillaco National Historic Site (2001)

Gorges of Quebrada de Cafayate, Las Conchas, Toro and Escope

Valleys of Lerma and Kalchaki

Seven Colored Hill

historical

Ruins of the city of Tastil (National Historic Site, circa 15th century)

Mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres

Estancia Colome

Curious facts

• The name of the province and its capital are variously translated from the indigenous languages. In Quechua, it means "beautiful", Aymara - "a place to rest", in the old, almost disappeared Kaka - "intermountain".
• The name of the Arizaro salt marsh is made up of several words that were used in the now extinct Andean Indian languages ​​​​Kunsa and Atakameno (Likan-Antay). It means "the place where the condor sits on the road for the sake of prey." The salt marshes are located in the places where the old route ran, along which herds of cattle were driven from Valle de Lerma (Salta) to Chile for sale. Some of the animals died along the way. Carrion-eating condors knew that there was always food waiting for them.
• The mummies of Lullaillaco are the bodies of three children, perfectly preserved for five hundred years at an altitude of 6739 m. Archaeologists say that the children were sacrificed during the Capac-Cocha ceremony, or “piggy bank, debt”. A debt to the gods that must be repaid on time. Judging by the clothes and things that lay next to the mummies, these were children from high-ranking families. Currently, mummies and objects are kept in the Salta Museum.

The capital is a center of religious pilgrimage. Once a year there is a festival of the patrons of the city - the Virgin Mary and Christ the Wonderworker. The basilica and monastery of San Francisco keep their statues, created about 500 years ago. They, as the townspeople are sure, help get rid of diseases, and also protect against earthquakes. During the holiday, a mixture of traditions of indigenous peoples and Catholicism is clearly demonstrated: in front of the procession are dancing Indians, behind them Catholics carry figures of saints on a stretcher.

Tourist railway route "Train to Heaven" runs along the eastern part of the railway line Salta - Antofagasta railway Belgrano, connecting the north-west of Argentina with the Chilean border in the Andes, at an altitude of 4220 m above sea level. m. Despite the measures taken by the operating company, trains got stuck several times at an altitude of about 4 km, and tourists had to be evacuated by helicopters.

Echinopsis cactus grows on rocky soils at an altitude of 1700-3900 m above sea level. Furniture items are made from it and firewood is used. It is currently endangered, but not because of human activity, but because of a plant of the aster family, which grows near Echinopsis and releases substances that inhibit the germination of cactus seeds.

Argentina has a great variety of bus companies, some of which divide the country in directions (for example, serve only the north, or only one or more neighboring provinces, or specialize in one of the neighboring countries), while others are direct competitors and carry on the same routes . All companies have ticket offices in Retiro. Most of them are lined up in long rows on the second floor of the terminal. It seems that it is not possible to understand this mess, but there is a good site - http://www.omnilineas.com/, which allows you to view and compare (by price, departure time, etc.) companies serving the direction of interest. We tested only two offices - Balut Hmns (Buenos Aires - Salta route) and La Veloz del Norte (back). In principle, they are almost the same, and differences exist rather from bus to bus. But according to the subjective feeling, Balut is newer, cleaner and the machine with coffee and soda worked better. Veloz del Norte, as one of the largest carriers, is more resting on its laurels, so the barrel and TVs in the cabin were not LCD, but ordinary.

On the same site you can buy tickets online for many other carriers. If possible, this option should be checked, as there are often discounts for buying online. So, a ticket there (purchased via the Internet) cost 80 dollars, while the return ticket (purchased at the box office in Salta) cost 100! The trouble with online shopping is that when paying you will be sent a check, but not a ticket. You still have to go to the ticket office at the station to get the ticket. When buying in any way, you can choose a seat in the cabin. The best place in our opinion - number 03 - on the second floor of the bus. There is an excellent panoramic view (windshield ahead + there is also a side one), and you can recline the back of the chair completely without causing inconvenience to anyone, since there is a staircase to the first floor behind the chair. As in the Philippines, it is better to take warm clothes to the cabin on a night bus trip - at night the air conditioner works like a beast and, of course, does not turn off.

I didn’t get to know the local air service, but the Argentines claimed that from Buenos Aires to Salta and back, you can fly for about 800 pesos, that is, quite a bit more expensive than a bus. We did not check this, since initially the idea to travel a third of the country by bus was tempting to look at Argentina at least from the window, since time does not allow it to be done normally. As a result, out of the 23 hours spent on the bus, most of the time, typically English or New Zealand landscapes flickered outside the window - farms with white fences, cows and horses on emerald pastures. Only in the last four hours, when the bus passed San Miguel de Tucumán, did the landscape become more cheerful, there were hills, rivers and forests.

In total, excluding travel and flights, we got about eight full days, which took place in the north-west of Argentina near the Bolivian and Chilean borders. We examined the province of Salta and stopped by the neighboring funny province of Jujuy (Jujuy, in Spanish it is read that way, and on our maps it is indicated in the Portuguese manner as Jujuy). Despite the fact that these places are devoid of world-famous attractions that attract tourists from all over the world to Argentina, such as the Iguazu Falls and the glaciers of Patagonia, the area turned out to be very diverse. Here, in a small area, several different natural zones are represented: from the Andean highlands with volcanoes reaching a height of 7000 meters, and mountain deserts with salt marshes, to tropical forests with giant trees and many animals and birds.

The available time was enough to get acquainted with the city of Salta (exclusively during breaks during the conference and in the evenings), two one-day excursions towards Chile in order to look at how llamas graze in the foothills of the Andes, cacti grow and look at the famous altiplanos, as well as a three-day trip to this same Khukhuy in order to see the foggy selva live.

Salta

Where to live. The city has many hotels and hostels. We chose Siete Duendes initially because of the price, but everything else turned out to be quite pleasant. Firstly, it is located about halfway from the bus station to the center, and secondly, unlike many central hostels, the rooms are not located on the floors, but separately with access to the patio, which is very nice. And the staff is generally beyond praise, some of our trips were suggested by them, and there is not the slightest regret that we listened to them.

Salta is the capital of the province of the same name and one of the largest and most important cities in the northwest of Argentina with a population of over 450,000 inhabitants. By and large, the city is a village that has grown in breadth, and only a few blocks give out that you are still in the city.

Salta is an excellent example of a square-nested building method, characteristic of many old (founded in 1582 by the conquistadors) cities of Latin America, including Buenos Aires. The essence of squareness is obvious - some parallel streets intersect at right angles with other parallel streets, cutting the city into small squares and rectangles. For a person accustomed to radial-ring cities, getting lost in these squares costs nothing. Having found some interesting store or a good object for photographing, there is no need to put off visiting or shooting for later - the second time this place can simply not be found. The meaning of nesting is to stick something completely ridiculous on one street, for example, built up with one-story houses of the early 20th century, for example, a 10-story residential building with almost no windows or a five-star hotel.

In general, Salta made an impression if not a beautiful, then a nice town, quite quiet and calm. True, this calmness is guarded by a lot of policemen, two or three meeting almost at every corner. Thanks to the police or not, we did not experience any tension. Salta's most notable landmarks are its churches. Moreover, they are noticeable precisely in the literal sense of the word, since they rise above the surrounding one and two-story houses. The main cathedral of Catedral de Salta is located on the main city square (Plaza 9 de Julio), that is, rather in the park, since it is on the "squares" that most of the city's trees grow. Each park square has an equestrian statue of one of the heroes of Argentina in the center. As a rule, these are fighters for the independence of the country. In Salta, these are Generals de Guemes and Arenales.

The main cathedral differs from other churches in the absence of a high bell tower, pink facade and stucco. The buildings surrounding the central park are almost the tallest in the city (not counting a few new buildings), many of them are built in the colonial style: with arches and passages in which you can hide from the scorching sun. In one of the buildings - cabildo under the Spaniards from 1626 to 1888 housed the ruler of the lands. Here is the largest concentration of high-level tourist establishments, all sorts of hotels, restaurants and cafes.

Another beautiful old church of St. Francis is located a few blocks from the central park along Caseros street. The facade of the building is painted in red and gold. It was not possible to get into St. Francis, despite the fact that the timetable is hanging on the doors. At the same time, the central cathedral worked strictly according to the schedule.

In city parks, interesting examples of local flora are sometimes found. So, in one of the central squares grow Palo borracho (drunken tree), South American relatives of the baobab. These trees are interesting in the shape of their trunk, which has a strong thickening in the lower third. Inside there is a cavity in which a supply of water is stored. This allows the tree to survive droughts in its natural habitats.

In addition to churches and parks in Salta, you can also see several museums, located mainly around the central park. There is an anthropological museum, a museum of art of the peoples of America, but the most interesting, if not shocking, museum is MAAM (Museo Arqueologico de Alta Montaña, Museum of Alpine Archeology). The museum is entirely dedicated to the excavations of Inca cult burials on the slopes of the region's volcanoes. Most of the exhibits were found during the work of the expedition on the slope of the Llullaillaco volcano. The key exhibits of the museum are the mummified bodies of three children buried alive with many ritual objects (fabrics, gold figurines, jewelry), as ordered by the wild customs of the Incas. To maintain the mummies in the right condition, the museum has a special cryo-laboratory with a bunch of modern equipment. Collectively, the mummies are called niños de Llullaillaco (children of Llullaillaco), but each has its own name: La Doncella (Girl), La Niña del rayo (Lightning Girl) and El Niño (just Boy). For conservation purposes, they are exhibited one per day and are not allowed to be photographed. In our day, the lightning girl was introduced. The girl is sitting in a lotus position, she is wearing fairly well-preserved clothes, her teeth, hair and even skin are also preserved, but on her head the mummy is badly burned by an electric discharge (whence, in fact, the name comes from). In general, we can say that, despite the obvious archaeological interest, it is very unpleasant to see the carcasses, which, in fact, warns the booklet-guide to the museum. In addition to exhibits in the museum, you can watch a film about the work of the expedition and many photographs of volcanoes so beloved by the Incas.

Tren a las Nubes – San Antonio de los Cobres

One of the most famous sights of the province - a picturesque railway line - stretches for several hundred kilometers towards Chile. It began to be built in the 20s of the 20th century with the aim of connecting Salta with Chile through mountains rich in various metals. Since the road passed through the mountains, through many river canyons and gorges, metal bridges had to be built.

At the same time, many agencies organize their excursions, so to speak, in the wake of the train. These excursions are carried out on minibuses and they cost half as much as a train. You will be convinced that the bus travels exactly along the route of the train and you will not feel the difference, and this will not be true! It is physically impossible for a bus to follow the route of a train, as the rails often go through tunnels through mountains and over bridges, which are the most spectacular part of the trip. All he will do is take the road, which periodically comes close to the rails, and where the train crosses the bridge, the road usually runs along the valley floor below it. So you can, having guessed the moment, look at the train from the bottom up. As a result, the bus, although cheaper, does not reach the train in terms of entertainment.

But we were seduced by a profitable offer, and this is what happened: the bus made its first stop in the former camp, where the builders of the railway lived - Campo Quijano. Now the locomotive that was the first to cross the Andes is exhibited here. The next stop is the first high railway bridge, under which several of these sightseeing buses congregate, and where they usually wait for the train to pass. Immediately, the guide offers everyone to chew coca leaves in order to feel better at altitude. While chanting the slogan "Coca no es droga!". Coca leaves, by the way, are legally sold in Argentina in every stall, along with beer and cigarettes. However, the effect at the height of them somehow was not felt, the head still ached.

The whole terrible essence of organized excursions clearly appeared in the village: instead of making more stops along the way and looking at nature, the bus stood for 1.5 (one and a half!) hours in a dusty, dirty village, rather reminiscent of the Middle East, with the sole purpose of were able to buy souvenirs and eat fucking llama meat!

It will not be possible to leave the village for a walk, because for him they chose the most boring and uninteresting place of all possible. Around are dusty hills and a thin stream with cluttered banks. Oh yes! Not far from the village is one of the highest (62 meters) and picturesque bridges on the way of the "Train to the Clouds" - the Polvorilla viaduct. Here is the highest point of the route - 4222 meters. But here only a short stop is made, of course, because the tourists have not yet eaten all the exotic animals in an expensive restaurant.

Excursion No. 2 Los Cardones National Park - Cachi village

Calilegua National Park, foggy selva.

If you look at the map of South America, the areas occupied by various protected areas, then the huge parks of Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela catch your eye. There are no large reserves in Argentina, and of what is, the largest are in Patagonia, the Andes and the missionary selva around the Iguazu Falls. Everything else is small pieces of land, barely visible on the map of the country.

The main site of the National Parks Authority of Argentina, allows you to learn more about each of them. Many parks also have their own pages, such as Calilegua and El Rey. The good thing about parks in Argentina is that most of them are free for visitors, meaning there are no entry fees. A list of paid and free parks can be viewed. Also, in many fairly old parks there is a special place for camping, where you can stay with a car or just a tent, often camping is also free.

As already mentioned, although the Salta region does not have world-famous attractions, it is very diverse and combines many different landforms, landscapes and natural areas in a relatively small area, which is very convenient for a cursory acquaintance with South America in general. In total, 9 so-called ecoregions are distinguished in Argentina, that is, groups of natural communities that exist in similar climatic conditions, on the same type of terrain, soil, and so on. The most widely represented ecoregions in Argentina are Chaco (semi-deserts or savannas), Pampa (fertile cereal steppe), Monte (semi-deserts and steppes in the foothills of the Andes) and Patagonian steppes. In the north of the country, there are areas of selva continuing from tropical Bolivia and Brazil - flat and humid in the province of Misiones and mountainous, deciduous in Jujuy, Salta and Tucuman.

From Salta, 4 parks are reachable, representing 3 different ecoregions.
1. Los Cordones, which we have already mentioned. This park is one of the youngest and absolutely undeveloped, there is nowhere to live there. Well, in the sense there is officially nowhere, because to settle outside a specially designated place in national park no, this place is not there. Although, of course, if you carefully stick the tent behind a bush, no one may notice. There is no water in the park either, so you have to carry it with you. The park mainly presents landscapes and vegetation of desert mountain plateaus.

2. El Rey Park is located in the transition zone between the mountainous forests of northwest Argentina and the dry Chaco region that stretches east into Paraguay. The flora and fauna of the park is also borderline between these two very different regions. Both forest dwellers and species typical of the arid Chaco savannas are found here. Inside the park there is a place for free camping, and, what distinguishes it from other parks, with drinking water. But there is also a serious problem - the park is not suitable for a short visit, of course, if you do not have a car. The fact is that El Rey is located far from major roads, and there is no way to get there by public transport. It is also doubtful that you can easily stop something along the way, since apart from the park there are no tourist attractions there, and therefore cars with tourists are rare. In a straight line from Salta to the park is only 80 km, but the only road goes around. From Salta you can take a bus to the village of Lumbreras, from which you need to find the opportunity to drive 90 km to the border of the park, plus another 11 km to the campsite. In general, getting there is difficult. A taxi from Salta to the place will cost about 400 pesos one way. Admiring the price, we decided to look for a cheaper park.

The next two parks represent one of the rarest ecoregions in the country - the mountain foggy selva, or Yungas. It is wedged from Bolivia in a narrow strip into the three northern provinces of Argentina - Jujuy, Salta and Tucuman. Yungas differ from the classic Amazonian type jungles, first of all, in their water regime. The forest grows on destroyed porous rocks, and water quickly seeps into the ground horizons without forming large surface watercourses. As a result, forests are highly dependent on rain, and during the dry and hot season, many trees shed their leaves.

The leaf fall season is in spring (August - November). At this time, the layering of the forest is very noticeable on the slopes, which is expressed in the number of deciduous trees and is explained by the distribution of water. Below at the base of the valleys there are quite a lot of green trees, higher on the slopes almost the entire forest becomes bare, and above under the watersheds the greenery appears again until the entire forest is completely green. It is always humid in the upper altitudinal zone, because, despite the season, strong fogs are frequent at this altitude. Water constantly condenses on plants and feeds small streams.

The mountain selva is subdivided into three altitudinal belts: selva pedemontana (piedmont), which is a transition from the Chaco plain to a real mountain forest. Here, according to deciduous plants, the change of seasons is most noticeable. At an altitude of about 600 meters, a mountain or foggy selva begins, represented by the largest species diversity plants and animals. It distinguishes two subzones according to the dominance of certain groups of trees, for example, laurel or myrtle selva. From a height of 1500 meters, the third zone begins - the mountain forest (bosque montano), characterized by low species diversity and significant temperature fluctuations depending on the season and time of day.

3. Baritù is located in the province of Jujuy, almost on the border with Bolivia. Relatively close to the park there is a fairly large settlement - Oran (completely San Ramon de la Nueva Oran, but everyone is reducing). Oran can be reached by regular buses from Salta (La Veloz del Norte and Chevallier definitely go). Much closer to the park is the village of Aguas Blancas, to which there are buses from the capital of Jujuy, San Salvador. Due to its remoteness from industrial and large agricultural centers, the nature of Baritu is practically untouched by man, here you can observe the pristine selva. The small territory of the park affects, however, the limited distribution of large representatives of the animal world here, which require individual plots of a large area. So, in the park, theoretically, there is the whole set of large predators - jaguars, and puma, but their numbers are very small. The territory of the park is not enough for a large number of animals, and outside of it, farmers hunt cats for their love of livestock.

4. Calilegua proved to be the most accessible of all the parks. As a result, we chose him.

The park is located 9 kilometers from the main road to the aforementioned Oran. One kilometer from the turnoff to the park is the General Libertador San Martin work camp, which can be reached directly from Salta. At its narrowest point, the park is crossed by a clay road, on which once a day a regular bus leaves from the bus station in San Martin, serving villages in another valley. In the morning, at 8:30, the bus leaves the town and returns in the evening. We got to the park on foot, but once, already in the park, we used this bus. And it turned out to be one of the most vivid memories of the trip. Unlike modern double-decker buses plying between cities, this one seemed the same age as the forest itself. The bus was filled to the brim with food that the local Indians - Guarani drag to their villages, and a cheerful driver and conductor regularly brushed their teeth with cocaine.

Immediately at the entrance to the park, two hundred meters from the road, there is a camping site, and on the road itself there is a house for foresters. The forester visits the house almost every day in the morning. Visitors need to register with him in a notebook. It’s not stressful at all, he doesn’t offer anything, doesn’t try to sell anything, he just writes down and gives out a simple map, a description of the routes in the park and a guide to animal tracks, which is valuable. Camping in your own tent or car is free. The only problem, especially for a hiker, is the need to bring all the food from the city with you and take care of drinking water, which is also not available in the park.

I must say that on the last day we still ran out of water, we had to drink at a watering place with animals, but it seems that everything is in order with health :) For blood-sucking creatures that tropical forests are often famous for, the end of the dry season is clearly not best time. During the day there are only flies that do not encroach on blood, but just sometimes get bored, in the evening the midges still crawl out of their holes, but even then there are not many of them. Moreover, the basis of the midges is not mosquitoes, but a very small biting midge that gnaws a round hole in the skin and despises repellents with a DEET concentration of less than 20%. Especially midges atrocities after sunset along the streams, where at night the animals go to drink.

There are many representatives of the fauna of the subtropical forests of South America in the park, but most of the animals are rare due to reduction in habitat, persecution by people outside the reserve, or simply because the animals are on the edge of their range, since the foggy selva enters the territory of Argentina only in a small, narrow tongue . However, jaguars and cougars live in the park, and in some places where they were most often observed, there are special stands describing what to do if you encounter them.

Apart from big cats, of predators, the ocelot, Geoffroy's cat and the savannah fox also live here. There are raccoons - noses and raccoons, crabeaters, whose tracks can often be seen on the sandy banks of streams. Of the mustelids, it is easy to meet the tayra (Eira barbara) in person, which is practically not afraid of a person and hides only if you get very close. On the banks of streams at night hang out the largest animals of South America - tapirs, and thickets around sometimes just plow peccary pigs. There is also a giant guinea pig - capybara in the park, but it is very rare because it prefers open spaces. But agouti can be seen easily, besides, one settled right next to the campsite and often fumbles in the bushes almost in plain sight.

The vegetation of the park is no less impressive than its animals. Huge trees covered with hanging lichens and other epiphytes, including giant bromeliads, which, just in time for the visit, gathered to mark the beginning of the wet season with flowering. Tree cacti and a host of other plants also bloomed, their fallen flowers sometimes completely covering the ground below them. Where deciduous tree species predominate, one can assess the degree of their overgrowth not only with epiphytes, which do not shed their leaves, and therefore are clearly visible on the branches, but also with lianas that grow everywhere here. Moreover, they grow not only vertically, but in general at any angle, even horizontally. Sometimes one vine begins to wrap around another, sometimes a lateral sprout begins to curl along the main stem, sometimes they grow together so much that they are covered with a common bark, under which intertwined cores are visible. At the foot of the mountains, the already mentioned Palo borracho are sometimes found, considered sacred by the Guarani. However, these trees do not tolerate cold well and do not grow higher in the mountains, where temperature differences can be noticeable.

In this area there are specially laid trails of varying difficulty, inclination and length, passing along different types selva and taking from 10 minutes to 4 hours to pass. Most of the trails start and end on the road, all of them, by the way, are marked on the map, which can be taken from the forester.

Several of the longest trails, moving away from the road, descend along the streams to a large river and return to the camp along the coast. Actually, it is the passage along the banks of streams that allows us to estimate the number of animals and birds inhabiting the forest. In the daytime, the animals are practically invisible, but during the night they leave many traces on the sand near the water, and this is where the booklet given by the forester is needed. The most frequent guests of the streams were tapirs, whose tracks in some places covered almost the entire coast. In addition to these, there are many traces of something not very large of a cat, perhaps Geoffroy's cat, an ocelot or a small cougar. Sometimes, walking along the stream, you can find places that smell like a zoo - it smells like an animal.

In addition to walking along the trails, you can take a trip on the same bus with cocaine to the opposite border of the park (it's only 23 km) to a place called Abra de cañas or Monolito. A small monument is really present there. This place is already quite high (1700 m) and, despite the sunny weather below, an impenetrable veil of fog hangs here, and the steep road consists of soaked clay, and the driver, as we remember, is under coke :)