Altiplano
Altiplano Tours
A voyage into the stark beauty of the Andean mountain plateau, in the footsteps of the Inca and the Spanish invaders.
The Argentine Altiplano is part of a 100,000 sq km bowl that starts in Catamarca and stretches up to the Bolivian border, extending into the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama desert in Chile. Over three days, our Salt & Seven Colours tour gives you a flavour of the mountain plateau, combined with the historic and colourful Quebrada de Humahuaca.
Altiplano Tours
Wine and Mountains
Footsteps of the Conquistadores
Salt & Seven Colours
Andes Photography tours
The huge open skies of the Altiplano (“high plain”) provide the perfect backdrop for photographers. And in the remote towns where we stay, we are often far from artificial light, so the starscapes are amazing to behold.
Join our Altiplano Safari
The inhospitable Puna (“cold land”) of the mountain plateau is home to wild vicuña, condors, rhea, and the only big cat in this environment, the puma: we should at least be lucky enough to see the first three.
The Salt Trail
For centuries, indigenous miners earned their corn digging crystal salt from high-altitude pools. You’ll now meet ex-workers who (thanks to tourism) carve salt blocks into ornamental llama and cacti, and etch impressive carvings on slates mined from the surrounding hills.
Picnic at La Jugueteria
The volcanic landscape of La Jugueteria in Jujuy is on the iconic Route 40, which stretches for 5,224km from the Bolivian border to Patagonia.
A word on the altitude
The Puna of Salta and Jujuy is a mountain plateau more than 3,000m above sea level. At this height, some people can suffer from apunamiento, or altitude sickness. Symptoms include headaches, fatigue, and dizziness.
The best way to avoid sickness is acclimatisation, so our trips are designed to rise gradually in altitude. It's also advisable to avoid large meals, and too much alcohol or coffee while you're travelling. Most importantly, don’t over-exert yourself, and tell your guide if you’re not feeling well.
Our guide will always have a bag of coca to hand: it's rather an acquired (and bitter) taste, but we recommend you try it. The locals will be impressed, and you'll be taking part in a holy ceremony that has existed for centuries. If you really don't like it, there's always coca tea...
Planning a holiday in Argentina? Don't hesitate to get in touch!