Day 1
Salta | Quebrada del Toro | San Antonio de los Cobres | Santa Rosa de Pastos Grandes | Labyrinth Desert | Tolar Grande
We will begin the first day of the trip by heading to the Quebrada del Toro, located just 30 kilometers from the city of Salta. This works as a natural elevator that connects the green Lerma Valley with the desert plateau called Puna. Crossing the Quebrada between archaeological ruins and vestiges of the Inca Trail, we will reach San Antonio de los Cobres, the Capital of the Puna, the last vestige of civilization and arrival point of many tourists.
After crossing the Salar de Pocitos, which is in its last geological stage, a tour of three hours between wild and unknown nature. The Labyrinth Desert is a fossil dune desert that is ten million years old and has thousands of clay spikes and gypsum crystals. Moving on, Tolar Grande is on the edge of a gigantic depression; and the Salar de Arizaro, one of the largest salt flats in the world and from this small railway town built in the 40s, you will have a unique view of the western end of the Cordillera with the blue sky over volcanoes more than 6000 meters high.
Day 2, Option A
Large tolar | Caipe | Rio Grande Salt Flats | Mina Casualidad (Mina Julia).
Mina La Casualidad was once a mining town b> located in one of the most remote and incredible places on Earth; right on the border with Chile surrounded by the highest volcanoes on the planet, between sulfur mountains, salt flats and with a cobalt blue sky at 4,200 meters above sea level.
The mine was closed and abandoned in the 70s and today it is a ghost town. Caipe is the old railway station of the Mine, built to transport the minerals processed in the Mine to Salta. From the abandoned station, there is a great panoramic view of the Salar de Arizaro.
At sunset , we will begin the trip back to Tolar Grande with the lights of the setting sun.
Day 2 , Option B
Large Tolar | Sea Eyes | Hidden Dunes | Large Tolar | Caipe
In the morning we will visit the Ojos del Mar, pools of marine blue water where the silhouette of the volcanoes is reflected in the morning light.
The surroundings of Tolar Grande also offer the opportunity to do wonderful walks. The best of them is in the sand dunes in the middle of the desert. From the height of the dune you will be rewarded with a 360-degree view over the entire area, from the sacred mountain of Macón to the < b>Llullaillaco volcano, perfect place for meditation.
We have lunch in Tolar Grande and then we have time to relax at the Hotel.
In the afternoon we continue our trip to Caipe, the old Mina railway station, built with the purpose of transporting the minerals processed in the Mine to Salta. From the abandoned station, there is a great panoramic view of the Salar de Arizaro.
At sunset, we will set off the trip back to Tolar Grande with the lights of the sunset over a hill on the outskirts of Tolar Grande.
Day 3
Tolar Grande | Arita Cone | Antofallita Oasis Antofalla | Vega Colorada | Calalaste Gorge | Antofagasta de la Sierra | El Peñón.
By crossing the Arizaro we will be imitating the ancient muleteers who used this road in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were shepherds who guided caravans of animals to Chile.
The Cone of Arita, a black volcanic pyramid that rises mysteriously in the middle of the white Salar de Arizarowill be one of the wonders of the day. We will continue towards Antofalla, an important and spectacular example of Puna Oasis. In the middle of a high desert there is a green valley, thanks to a natural spring with Poplars, Molles and Willows.
Day 4
El Peñón | Lagoon Pavilion | Laguna Grande and Diamante | Fumaroles | El Peñón
Our adventure begins today on the edge of the Campo de Piedra Pómez. Upon reaching the Carachi Pampa basin, on its margins, you will find the Volcano of the same name, surrounded by black lava fields and a lagoon, where the Andean flamenco and the James (or high altitude flamenco) are found.
During During the dry season, a small salt lake forms around the lagoon.
This strange landscape of white labyrinths and climbing dunes is located a few kilometers to the west, on a trail where the road continues through the sand that we could describe as an explorer`s dream, an overland adventure. We will return to the hotel just in time to enjoy the stunning sunset views from the town.
Day 5
El Peñón | Hualfin | Santa Maria | Cafayate | Quebrada de las Conchas | Salta
This day we travel from the Rock to the city of Salta, where the northwest still holds many surprises. The paved route that we will follow from El Peñón meets Route 40 after 150 kilometers from Paja Brava and a desert canyon with rich vegetation in its center.
In the afternoon, with the best light of the day, we will cross the Quebrada de las Conchas with 55 kilometers of impressive rock formations, 40 million years old with geological formations such as Yacoraite or Las Pirguas, of central importance. Salta and its green Lerma Valley will welcome you after a unique 4-day experience among extraordinary landscapes.