Easter April 2025: Cerro de los Siete Colores , Purmamarca, Tilcara, Uquia, Humahuaca and Salinas Grandes

 I'm behind with my blog!! I've been having such a wonderful time out and about without time to write up my adventures. On a wet morning in Iguacu, I'm catching up.

 

From Cordoba i took a trip to Salta and Jujuy in the far northwest of Argentina , near the Bolivian boarder. The urban and natural landscape are different her - less European, more pre Hispanic and the people are shorter and darker, closer to the original peoples of this land. 

I took 2 day trips one form Salta and one from Jujuy to 
Cerro de los Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colours) Located in Purmamarca, this iconic mountain features vibrant bands of red, pink, green, and yellow rock. It's one of the most photographed natural sites in Argentina. This hill and many of the surrounding hills are composed of layers of sediment deposited in the sea, lakes, and rivers over long periods. Each coloured layer contains different minerals, such as red clay (fangolitas), whitish quartzose, sandstone, and marls, and calcareous sandstones rich in sulphur. These layers were uplifted by the movement of tectonic plates creating chevrons and waves of colour and  exposing them to wind and rain erosion over millions of years revealing their distinct colours. Strangely the hills on each side of the road look different in the morning to the afternoon when the sun changes side and they look amazing with shadow.

 

I loved the little towns of Pumencara and Tilcara and especially Humahuaca; I’d love to visit and stay longer here. Theses traditional Andean towns are rich with indigenous culture, archaeological sites, and vibrant markets with fabulous textiles and crafts. There were also where I tried, lama and a wonderful goat stew.

This area called Quebrada de Humahuaca is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a mix of natural beauty and deep cultural heritage, with roots stretching back to pre-Incan civilizations.

 Salinas Grandes

The salt flats - Salinas Grandes were an amazing experience – just getting there driving up through the mountains was amazing, we had to be careful of altitude sickness as we were so high.  They stretch across the provinces of Jujuy and Salta, at an altitude of around 3,350 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level. The vast white expanse stretches for over 12,000 hectares, creating a surreal, mirror-like landscape, especially after rain.
The route to get there is through  Purmamarca along the Cuesta de Lipán, a winding mountain road with stunning views.

Once there it was incredibly hot and you had to wear sunglasses because of the glare from the salt. The texture of the salt underfoot was really strange – it was lumpy and wet but solod, it’s hard to imagine that it’s just a crust with a salt like underneath.