Argentina, which is roughly one-third the size of the United States, offers a great variety of climates and zones ranging from glaciers, to jungles, to mountains, to Pampas grasslands, to the often overlooked North and its deserts, cacti, pre-Hispanic villages and dramatic mountains and valleys.

Located in the extreme Northwest of Argentina, the province of Jujuy is home to colorful mountains, deep gorges, colorful and quaint towns and salt flats. We flew to neighboring Salta where we rented a car and drove to visit all these experiences.

Purmamarca

Our first stop was Purmamarca, a quaint town overshadowed by the Cerro de 7 Colores (The Hill of 7 Colors). This pre-Hispanic village is straight out of a postcard with adobe buildings, tile roofs, central plaza and artisan markets. The 17^th Century Church is in the heart of town and everything is surrounded by rock formations that range from red to pink to green!

Tilcara

We made our home at a boutique hotel in Tilcara, a picturesque town that felt straight out of Disney’s Coco. Street merchants, musicians, dancers, lively bars and restaurants and great food. Between shopping, dining and just walking the town, there was plenty to do in the evenings after our hikes and expeditions.

Humahuaca

The Quebrada de Humahuaca, or Humahuaca Gorge, is a UNESCO World Heritage site that runs for 96 miles and was once part of the Inca Empire with trails running through the hillsides. The scenic and windy drive through the gorge takes you through scenery reminiscent of the Pacific Southwest with valleys, gorges and mesas. If you keep traveling along the gorge, you will soon get to Bolivia, but we only travelled as far as the Cerro de 14 Colores (The Hill of 14 Colors). While some of the naming may not be original, the destination was well worth the trip. Taking a winding dirt road for over an hour and up almost 7,000 feet in elevation, we reached the overlook at 14,727 feet above sea level- the coca tea is really a necessity. On the road we even saw wild vicuña, quite a surprise!

After a long day and an even longer dusty road, it was back to Tilcara for some amazing dining- empanadas, asado and cerveza artisanal with alfajores and dulce de leche for desert- well deserved!

Salinas Grandes

The highlight of our trip was the visit to Salinas Grandes, a 3,200 square mile, ancient dry lakebed. After traversing yet another high mountain pass with unsurpassed views of the valleys and clouds below, we began to see a shimmering mirage across the entire horizon. As we got closer, the mirage faded into an absolutely flat, brilliantly white expanse of pure salt going as far as the eyes can see in all directions. With nothing but the road straight across to Chile and a small visitor center (in reality a hut with tables and chairs all made out of salt for the tour guides to sit in), this is an entirely featureless land at first glance. It is only after the tour guide gets in your car and you drive onto the flats that you begin to see the unique beauty of this otherworldly environment. The salt forms patters and formation over millennia of evaporation with underground rivers and lakes with upwellings and springs creating crystal blue pools that dot the land.

From there, weary yet rewarded, back to Tilcara before leaving Jujuy, having experienced yet another wondrous ESCAPADITA.