San Antonio de los Cobres Day Trip: Scenic Andes & Pre-Incan Ruins

Salta
Your day trip from Salta will start with hotel pickup for the 100-mile (160-km) drive northwest of town to San Antonio de los Cobres.

Salta - Quebrada del Toro
Your route parallels Argentina’s famous railway, Train to the Clouds (Tren a las Nubes) but on this tour, you will enjoy the comfort of disembarking as your group pleases for photo ops of the incredible Andean scenery. We will reach your first sightseeing marvel after about two hours, Quebrada del Toro (Gorge of the Bull). Then, you will admire views of El Toro viaduct, a 79-foot (24-meter) bridge built between the 1920s and ‘40s, that crosses the gorge, and you will pass by the bridges of Alisal and Chorrillo. Your guide will provide engaging commentary on history and local geology, which spans the spectrum from dense vegetation to rocky landscapes strewn with cacti. See if you can spot cardones, a native plant resembling celery.

Salta - Santa Rosa de Tastil
You will travel through the charming villages of El Candado, El Gólgota and Alfarcito. Depending on your group, you will make stops in the towns to stretch your legs and snap pictures. Then, you will continue and disembark at the tiny rural village of Santa Rosa de Tastil, where you’ll visit the ruins of a mysterious pre-Incan city. As you will walk through the arid and rocky terrain, your guide points out remnants that used to be housing and streets of this former civilization. You will find out more inside the archaeological museum (entrance fee is an additional expense), and if you’re hungry, purchase a light snack in the village.

Salta - San Antonio de los Cobres
Back in your air-conditioned vehicle, you will pass through Finca La Encrucijada, ascend Muñano Cliff and reach Abra Blanca, the highest point on the road between Salta and San Antonio de los Cobres, at a height of 13,386 feet (4,080 meters). You will take in sweeping views of the gorge and perhaps catch sight of condors swooping over the valley or llamas clopping up a mountainside.

Salta - San Antonio de los Cobres
Then, we will make the final stretch to San Antonio de los Cobres, one of Argentina’s highest-elevation towns at 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) and you will enjoy views of the often-photographed Polvorilla Viaduct. During your two hours here, you will learn about the town whose name is taken from nearby Sierra de Cobre (Copper Mountain). You will explore at your leisure and buy lunch at one of the local restaurants serving regional dishes. You will wander the streets lined with traditional adobe houses, browse the handicraft stalls and admire the views of the surrounding Andes.

Salta - Return
When it’s time to go, we will return to Salta the way you came but with no stops. Your day trip will end with hotel drop-off.