Argentina,  south america

6 reasons to travel North Argentina

My knowledge of travel in Argentina was pretty limited before making a last minute trip there this month. The trodden paths of Buenos Aires and snow peaked Patagonia were the only really thing on my Argentina radar, and they weren’t really that near the top of my bucket list. Skip forward three weeks, and I am totally besotted with the North of Argentina, and utterly bewildered that it’s not getting the press (I feel) it deserves. Here’s 6 reasons why you should book your trip right now!!!

Endless Argentinian mountain sunsets

I’ve caught a million sunsets over deserts and mountains, but I’ve never caught them at such an altitude that I’m above the clouds when it happened. I don’t think I’ve ever cried at so many sunsets in my life!

jujuy sunset

salta sunset

Argentina’s llama and wildlife spotting

One word. Llama’s! Everywhere! I’m sure this is no longer a novelty to the locals (they breed them for meat and they also run wild). regardless, I was delighted when a little man in his hut gave me some dried corn to feed his two llamas, due to my enthusiasm for them. We saw wild animals all over the North of Argentina, from llamas, to horses to huge condors, most completely disinterested in their human admirers.

The fun doesn’t end at just walking (talking?) animals. We made a shed load of impromptu stops for photographs of llama shaped homes and business buildings. Why don’t we have highland cow shaped buildings in Scotland!?!?

llama house

Crazy rock formations

The Salta and Jujuy province routes are lined with towering rock formations dating back thousands of years. The rainbow coloured mountains of Humahauca are sorely overlooked in favour of Peru’s famous range, despite them being much easier to get to! The salta to Cafayete road boasts little dirt track turns offs, leading you to enormous naturally eroded amphitheatres, free of national park exploration fees.

rainbow mountains

salta mountains

Argentinian Cactus fields

Isn’t Mexico supposed to be the land of cactus? Again, Argentina came up trumps! We drove through endless cactus forests, stopping for way too many selfies of the huge water retaining monsters.

cactus

Run down Insta dreams

Take yourself back in time by pulling over to explore run down/ deserted little villages by the side of the road in the Salta province. Old gas stations, burger joints and hardware stores.  Photography dreams!

salta garage

salta town

North Argentina Salt plains

Most likely knocked of the radar (again) in favour of its larger Bolivian counterpart, the Salinas grandes (Salt plains) of Jujuy were only  an hour’s drive from one of our favourite Northern Argentinian towns; Purmamarca. Free to visit, the ancient dried up river is like something from another planet, the sunlight bouncing off miles of dreamy landscape. Charge your camera battery!!!!

salt plains

argentina salt plains

Feeling Argentina? Head over to my post about budget accommodation in Cachi

Have I got you thinking about a trip to Argentina? Have you done this route yourself? What are your favourite spots in the North of Argentina?

Travel writer, marketing adviser and blogger based in Edinburgh, with a focus on budget and vegan travel. 39 countries to date, with extensive knowledge of travel within Asia, particularly within Thailand.

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