The Andean region of the Jujuy Province in the Andean northwestArgentina consists of the two large landscapes of the Puna, a sparsely populated dry steppe at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 m and the cut valleys of the Quebradas, the most important of them is the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
The region is popular with travelers because of the scenic beauty of the colorful rocky mountains, the colonial cities and the carnival, which has become commercialized in recent decades, but is still celebrated according to age-old traditions.
Regions
Even if the Argentine Puna region is divided by mountain ranges into elongated basins that run in a north-south direction, it is largely uniform as a scenic region. The Quebrada de Humahuaca is the only major turning point in Jujuy and the main tourist destination of the region. It has been included in both the UNESCO World Heritage Site and the World Natural Heritage Site.
places
There are no large cities in the Puna and the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the largest is the twin city La Quiaca / Villazón on the Argentine-Bolivian border, which has a combined population of around 50,000; the Argentine part; cleaner and quieter than the lively Villazón, only contributes 15,000.
The places of interest for tourists are concentrated in the Quebrada. The old, well-preserved colonial city Humahuaca is their "capital" with 10,000 inhabitants. Almost even better known to travelers is the one a little south of Humahuaca Tilcara with about 8,000 inhabitants, a popular holiday resort with folklore festivals in January and also numerous old buildings. Purmamarca, 1,000 inhabitants, is a spectacularly situated old colonial village, famous for its Siebenfarbenberg. Locals claim that there are many more than seven colors that shine in the colorful rock. Today it is not only a steadily growing travel destination, but also a popular setting for commercials. The end point of the Quebrada and its transition into the Puna is Tres Cruces with only 500 inhabitants, very attractive at almost 3,700 m, below a bizarre mountain formation that gave it its name Trident of the devil wearing.
The population density is even lower on the open puna. Next to La Quiaca are Abra Pampa, 6,000 inhabitants, service center of a wide region, the hard-to-reach Mina El Aguilar, 6,000 inhabitants, a test-tube city for workers at the largest mine in Argentina, Yavi, 1,000 inhabitants, a charming small town near the border with Bolivia with a colonial past, Susques, 1,000 inhabitants, a slowly emerging border town to Chile in the west with colonial buildings and churches, as well Santa Bárbara, 1,500 inhabitants, in the north-west corner of Argentina.
Other goals
The Laguna de los Pozuelos National Park protects a large lake in the middle of the plateau, one of the main distribution areas of the flamingos in Argentina. There are also numerous salt pans that are worth a visit and turn into huge mirrors in the summer during the rainy season.
background
The puna, the Argentine part of the Bolivian Altiplanos, is the most remote and most hostile area in the country. The air is dry, extremely clear and thin, the soil barren and stony, and the sun burns relentlessly from the sky. Nevertheless, the landscape is very popular with travelers because of its spectacular panoramas and the diverse relics of colonial architecture. Many old colonial churches have survived in the region.
The sparsely sown population still consists for the most part of descendants of the indigenous people (kollas) and of mestizos. Their traditions are still alive in the festivals that are celebrated every few weeks. The settlement center is in the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
language
The region's Spanish is similar to the dialect spoken throughout the northwest from around Córdoba. Characteristics are the hybrid "rsch" and the elongation of the penultimate syllable of a word.
The area's Native American languages are on the decline overall, although most of the elderly still speak Quechua or Aymara.
getting there
The puna and quebradas can from San Salvador de Jujuy can be easily reached, many buses run from there.
If you arrive with your own car, you should make the vehicle "suitable for the highlands".
mobility
Buses or minibuses run between the main towns (these are, however, much more expensive!). Smaller villages can often only be reached by car.
Tourist Attractions
Of the numerous colonial churches, the in Casabindo mentioned which is greatest of all. Casabindo is near Abra Pampa.
activities
In the west and in the Precordillere you can go hiking if you take the climate into account. In particular, you should consider the strong sunlight and the altitude, take plenty of water with you and approach the slopes slowly. There are many Shepherd's Paths that are easy to follow if you take the necessary precautions.
A special experience is that Riding tour of Valle Grande in the Selva Subandina to Humahuaca (about 60 km, about 2 days).
kitchen
The cuisine, like that of the entire Northwest, is usually very spicy.
nightlife
Only in the larger towns is there a modest cultural and night life. Nevertheless, the general rule of thumb is that the residents of the region like to drink alcohol and go dancing on the weekend.
security
Nature is the greatest enemy in the remote area. You have never heard of criminals here, with the exception of holiday destinations such as Humahuaca and Tilcara.
climate
The climate is dry (50-300 mm of precipitation), with frequent thunderstorms in the summer, which quickly turn the dried up streams into raging rivers. There is little temperature difference between summer and winter, but there is a clear difference between day and night. Normal in summer are daytime temperatures of 25 and night temperatures of 5-10 degrees plus, and in winter days with 20 and nights with 5 degrees minus. There can be up to 20 degrees of frost!
trips
From the Puna you can easily go to the border areas of Chile and Bolivia travel on. There are attractions like San Pedro de Atacama (in Chile) and that Salar de Uyuni as Tupiza (in Bolivia).
