Argentine Northwest

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Argentine Northwest

The Argentine Northwest (Noroeste Argentino) is a region of Argentina composed by the provinces of Catamarca, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán.

The Argentine Northwest is visited not only by Argentines but by people from all over the world, specially Europeans. The most common destination are Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Cerro de los Siete Colores, Cafayate and the Valles Calchaquíes, Tafí del Valle, and the capital cities of the provinces: San Miguel de Tucumán, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy.

The national parks of the region are: Baritú National Park, Calilegua National Park, El Rey National Park, Los Cardones National Park and Campo de los Alisos National Park.

Cultural tourism
Besides the geography of the area, its culture is of great interest. It is strongly influenced by Quechua and Aymara cultures, and the region widely differentiates to the more European Buenos Aires.

This influence can be seen in the music, clothing and customs of the people.

Calchaquí Valleys

Calchaquí Valleys is a valley in the northwestern region of Argentina that crosses the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán and Salta. It is best known for its contrast of colours and its unique geography that ranges from the mountain desert to the subtropical forest.

There are a number of valleys and rivers within the Calchaquí Valleys that have their own name, such as the Quebrada del Toro, Valle de Lerma near Salta city, the Quebrada de Escoipe formed by the Escoipe River, the Valle Encantado at the feet of the Cuesta del Obispo, the Quebrada de las Conchas of the Conchas River near Cafayate, the valley of the Santa María River, and the Calchaquí River itself.

These valleys were once inhabited by a number of tribes. Ruins of the Quilmes can be found in Tucumán. Other tribes of the area included the Calchaquíes, Tafí, and the Yokavil (Santa María). Decades before facing the invasion of the Spanish colonization, the natives of these lands suffered the invasion of the Inca Empire.

Among the most visited tourist attractions of the valley are Tafí del Valle, Cafayate, Molinos, San Carlos, Santa María and Cachi at the western end of the valley, as well as the Los Cardones National Park, and the Los Sosa Provincial Park in Tucumán. In several parts of the valley there are numerous vineyards, specially in the Cafayate area.

Argentine Northwest

The Argentine Northwest is visited not only by Argentines but by people from all over the world, specially Europeans. The most common destination are Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Cerro de los Siete Colores, Cafayate and the Valles Calchaquíes, Tafí del Valle, and the capital cities of the provinces: San Miguel de Tucumán, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Salta and San Salvador de Jujuy.

The national parks of the region are: Baritú National Park, Calilegua National Park, El Rey National Park, Los Cardones National Park and Campo de los Alisos National Park.
Cultural tourism

Besides the geography of the area, its culture is of great interest. It is strongly influenced by Quechua and Aymara cultures, and the region widely differentiates to the more European Buenos Aires.

This influence can be seen in the music, clothing and customs of the people.

Quebrada de Humahuaca

The Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, about 1,500 km from Buenos Aires. It is about 155 kilometres long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys (Valles Templados) in the south.
Maimará village at the foot of the Quebrada.

The name quebrada (literally “broken”) translates as a deep valley or ravine. It receives its name from Humahuaca, a small city of 11,000 inhabitants. The Grande River (Río Grande), which is dry in winter, flows copiously through the Quebrada in the summer.

The region has always been a crossroads for economic, social and cultural communication. It has been populated for 10,000 years, since the settlement of the first hunter-gatherers, which is evidenced by substantial prehistoric remains. It was a caravan road for the Inca Empire in the 15th century, then an important link between the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and the Viceroyalty of Peru, as well as a stage for many battles of the Argentine War of Independence.

The Quebrada de Humahuaca has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2 July 2003.

Northwest top destinations

The Los Cardones National Park is a national park of Argentina, located in the center-west of the province of Salta, within the San Carlos and Cachi Departments, in the Argentine Northwest.

The park has an area of 650 square kilometres, with hills and ravines at the height levels between 2,700 m and 5,000 m. It gets its name from the prevalence of cardones bush formations. It features fossile remains of extinct animals, as well as dinosaur tracks.

The protected area was created in 1996, when the National Parks Administration acquired the land from private owners.

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About the author

I am Matias, born in Patagonia, and a lover of my land.

For more than 20 years I help foreign travellers to organise their trip to Patagonia.

I also manage this exotic accommodation on the Atlantic coast.