Expedition to the Cloud Forest
Trip Highlights
Sugar-growing region of Jujuy
Ruins of an old pirka dry stone wall
Morning clouds in Calilegua
Description
Hiking verdant green trails in the sub-tropical Cloud Forest of the Yungas in Jujuy: an oasis of plants and birdlife.
This is part of the UNESCO region of the Yungas, which contains 300 different species of birds and 100 different types of mammal. Yungas is a word from the Inca language Quechua, meaning “Warm Valleys”.
Click here to view map route.
Tour info
Why take this tour?
Calilegua was designated a national park in 1979 to protect the biodiversity of the Cloud Forest: it’s home to 3,000 different plant species and 200 different types of tree, with the vegetation changing as we rise from Selva Pedemontana (lower mountain jungle) at 500m above sea level to Bosque Montano (mountain forest) at 1,500m.
We go hiking along established trails in the national park where among the wildlife we’ll find the ruins of an old pirka dry stone wall built by the San Francisco tribe that inhabited these forests 2,000 years ago. We will spend the night in the picturesque hill town of the same name, now home to many of the former sugar workers and small farmers moved here to make way for the national park.
On Day 2, we have got a choice of hikes: a 9km round trip descending to the hot springs of the Termas de Jordan or a 13km round trip climbing into the hills around San Francisco, offering some great views of the valley. Or, if you want to take it easy, we can return to the national park and follow some gentler, flatter trails.
A second night can be spent in the relative luxury of a hotel with a swimming pool in the steamy sugar city of Libertador Gen San Martin, close to the entrance of Calilegua.
Grade of Difficulty: 2/5
Available April to December
Included
Local Tour Guide
Own Private Vehicle
Excluded
Food
Water
Accommodation
Things to know
Your Budget
Argentina has a parallel economy in which the official rate of the dollar is roughly half its real value. What that means is you need to leave your bank cards for emergencies and bring US$ or euros in cash which we can change into pesos for your everyday expenses. You’ll find Salta city is a lo...
Argentina has a parallel economy in which the official rate of the dollar is roughly half its real value. What that means is you need to leave your bank cards for emergencies and bring US$ or euros in cash which we can change into pesos for your everyday expenses. You’ll find Salta city is a lot cheaper than Buenos Aires, and your holiday in Argentina is even better value once we take you on the road on one of our trips. Read our guide to the "Blue Dollar" here.
Pricing
Headline price based on four people travelling together in one of our 4x4s with an English-speaking driver/guide.
Below are our DAILY rates PER PERSON excluding food and accommodation: valid to end 2023.
One person - US$350
Two people - US$200
Three people- US$150
Four people (one vehicle) - US$125
Four people (two vehicles) - US$200
Headline price based on four people travelling together in one of our 4x4s with an English-speaking driver/guide.
Below are our DAILY rates PER PERSON excluding food and accommodation: valid to end 2023.
One person - US$350
Two people - US$200
Three people- US$150
Four people (one vehicle) - US$125
Four people (two vehicles) - US$200
Group Size
We operate with comfortable 4x4s which can accommodate up to four people, but if you’re travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we will see what we can arrange.
We operate with comfortable 4x4s which can accommodate up to four people, but if you’re travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we will see what we can arrange.
Check Availability
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