SALTA & JUJUY: Tips for Traveling the North of Argentina -

Tips for Traveling the North of Argentina- Jujuy & Salta

Everything you need to know about Salta and Jujuy- Argentina's northern provinces — Everything you need to know about Salta and Jujuy

Salta & Jujuy: North of Argentina Reading Time: 18 minutes

I’ve been dreaming of seeing the north of Argentina for years, and now I’m finally here. It was definitely a bit of a challenge finding solid information, however, so I want to lay it out here to hopefully help anyone else looking to head north into the Jujuy and Salta provinces, which I really hope you do. If there is one takeaway, it is PLAN AHEAD!

The Towns of Northern Argentina

Map from Wanderlog, a vacation planner app on iOS and Android

Between the provinces of Jujuy and Salta, there are tiny towns, small towns, big towns, and cities. I will take a moment to quickly describe the main spots to visit between these two provinces:

Salta

The capital city of Salta is the only place that really felt like a “city,” though a small city at that. It has all the main conveniences of a city- banks, supermarkets, restaurants, shops, bars, Western Union, etc. All the streets are paved, though much of the infrastructure outside of the main square feels old and a bit crumbling. Make sure to take care of any city needs here.

Cafayate

This is a small city with mainly paved roads (though lots of roads and sidewalks seem to be broken and under construction). You can find all the necessary conveniences here. This is a city famous for wine, so there are bodegas at every turn. There is also a great goat cheese farm just outside of town, easily reachable by taxi. Along the road between Cafayate and the capital of Salta, there are a ton of incredible stops, including El Anfiteatro, Garganta del Diablo, and Las Tres Cruces.

San Salvador de Jujuy

This is the capital city of the province of Jujuy, and if I’m being honest, doesn’t have much to offer. Sure, it has a few bars and restaurants, and a walk along the river, but beyond that, I found it to be a rather dull place. The streets are paved, but the city itself felt a bit old and depressing (but not the good kind of old).

Purmamarca

This is quite a small town, and it’s easy to see the entire town center in less than an hour or two. Most of the streets dirt here, so rolling your suitcase may take a bit longer than usual. Even though the town is quite touristy, it has a special magical charm. It’s surrounded by the amazing 7 Colores Mountains. There is great street food, good shopping, and nearly every restaurant has live music with every meal.

Maimara

This is a small town that lies between Tilcara and Purmamarca. Most roads are dirt, except the main road which divides the town in half. If you try to come in the middle of the afternoon (between 1-4) you won’t find much going on at all, as everyone is at home for siesta. Try to take a stroll around town in the morning. There are also a few miradores above the town for great views.

Tilcara

This is not a big town, but it has the conveniences of one. There are banks, supermarkets, even a Western Union. There are tons of restaurants and cafes. It seems to be a hotspot for young, Argentina hippies too. Roads are mostly paved. This is the starting point for the hike to La Garganta del Diablo.

Humahuaca

This is a small town that can be seen in one day. Most roads are dirt, except for the main road that connects to the other towns. There are quite a few restaurants and cafes for how small it is, as well as a number of guest houses and places to stay. It’s easy to catch transportation from here to see the Serrania del Hornocal. You can find the same shopping items here as in most of the towns in the region, though the prices here seem to be the lowest.

Uquia

This is a very small town just south of Humahuaca. There isn’t much to see in the town besides a small market and a church. But the real prize is going through the town, and up to the red mountains behind it. There you’ll find La Quebrada de las Señoritas and the Cañon de las 13 vueltas. The only paved road is the highway that passes by the edge of town.

Iruya

This is a small town about 3 hours from Humahuaca after passing through windy, dusty roads, and down into a valley. The town is surrounded by incredible rock faces and precipices, completely different from the red mountains you’ll see throughout Jujuy. There are a few great lookout points near the city, and another view about 2 hours walking from Iruya, called San Isidro. Mostly cobblestone streets.

THE LANGUAGE IN NORTH ARGENTINA

You will be doing yourself a favor by learning some basic Spanish, if you don’t know the language already. I didn’t meet a single person up north who spoke English. I fortunately speak Spanish, which was a great help when calling ahead to make reservations, buying bus tickets, or ordering food at restaurants. If you don’t know the language, you can also get very far with a big smile, so just try your best!

MONEY FOR TRAVELING IN NORTHERN ARGENTINA

If you don’t yet know about the financial situation in Argentina, I suggest checking out my blog post about exactly that here, or watching the video on Youtube so you can more fully understand the situation.

Now that you understand the situation, you also understand you need to pay for everything in cash, but you cannot simply go to the atm and take money out, since you’ll receive the red rate. Therefore, Western Union is your best friend. There are Western Union’s all over the country for this reason (but limited up north). Sometimes a transfer from your bank account to Western Union can take longer than expected, so you definitely need to plan ahead. I suggest making transactions to yourself of around $300-$500. Make them at least a week in advance. Western Union will also keep your money in your account for up to 90 days, so you don’t need to worry about picking it up right away.

Advantages to Western Union

There are advantages to making several smaller transactions of $300-$500 rather than one large one of $1000-$1500 or so. One reason is that some Western Union’s aren’t capable of giving you that much money at once. Another reason is that you shouldn’t be carrying around that much cash on you at once, making you feel more vulnerable to robbery (though I honestly never felt threatened at all in Argentina). Thirdly, the rates change quickly here, and inflation is real. You might get a drastically better exchange by waiting a few weeks. The last advantage to sending yourself money in advance, is that you know it is there ready for you when you are ready for it. It’s a terrible feeling to realize you need more cash right away, but the transaction is still processing. Do it in advance!

But be aware, some of the smaller towns like Iruya, Humahuaca, and Purmamarca do not have a Western Union. You’ll need to make sure to take care of your money while in bigger cities like Tilcara, San Salvador de Jujuy, Cafayate, and Salta Capital.

ACCOMMODATION IN NORTHERN ARGENTINA

In the north of Argentina, this is actually a little more challenging than in any other country. Reason being? Inflation! Because you can’t use a credit card here (unless you want to pay double), it’s a lot trickier than just going on a website like Airbnb, Booking, Agoda, Hostelworld, etc. and making a reservation with your credit card.

The best strategy I have found is to contact them directly. Yes, this is a little more time consuming, and might feel a little overwhelming if you don’t speak Spanish. Maybe you can have a Spanish speaking friend help? Use Google Translate? You can also try the sites like Booking.com or Agoda, and use the filter for paying in cash once you arrive.

USE GOOGLE MAPS

Take a look on Google Maps for the city you want to go to. Select the ‘hotels’ tab up top. Then zoom in. You’ll be able to see some prices for certain hotels. This may take some cross referencing, but see if they have Facebook pages, websites, or whatsapp numbers. You can also check those bigger websites to see what the rooms look like and what kind of reviews they get. I generally look for places I can contact via whatsapp or FB messenger, as it is the easiest way to communicate when you’re not a native speaker. You can also message several and wait to hear back from them.

DON’T WAIT IN NORTHERN ARGENTINA

I also suggest not waiting until the last minute. For example, when I was looking for a place to stay in Purmamarca, I contacted several places and none of them had availability for my desired dates. Fortunately one of those places gave me a list of about 40 hotels/hostels in Purmamarca, and I just went down the list contacting as many as possible. Ultimately I found a place at La Casa Encantada, which I absolutely loved. However, I wasn’t able to find a whatsapp number for them at the time, so I had to call on the phone. They also allowed me to make a reservation without a deposit.

MERCADO LIBRE

Another option is to use Mercado Libre. There is a website and an app.

How to find temporary accommodations on Mercado Libre app:
Categorias– Inmuebles– Alquiler Temporal– Ver mapa

From there, you can navigate on the map to the city you want to stay in. Each blue dot is an option. Zoom in. When you click on each option, there should be a blue button where you can contact them directly on Whatsapp.