Nicknamed ‘La Linda’ – The Beautiful – Salta has a high reputation to live up to. The city in the northwest of Argentina was founded in 1582 by the Spanish conquistadores and is up to this day dotted with impeccable preserved colonial buildings.
Most of the tourists travelling in the northern part of the country eventually will visit Salta; it’s an easy place to break a trip over here in order to arrange onward travels, to either the gorgeous rainbows ranges and villages up north in the area of Jujuy or the southern vineyards bordering Cafayate.
Although you might be very eager to continue your journeys; allow yourself a day to soak up the vibe of Salta. In the end I wished I’d stayed a little longer over there; not so much to check off things of the bucket list but only to wander around a bit more.
What to do:
If you have the time; join one the free walking tours. They start at 10am (all days available except Sunday) and show you the better parts of town. Or visit two of the most striking churches in Argentina (so I’ve been told): the pretty pink Cathedral of Salta and the red and yellow Iglesia San Francisco. You can also buy some cookies that are baked by nuns at the Convento San Bernardo. Or walk all the way east to the fancy neighbourhoods around Monumento al Martín de Güemes. Visit the unique Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM), which houses the mummies of three Inca children (!). In the afternoon take the teleferico all the way up to the top for the best views on the city. And don’t forget to have lunch at Viracocha – we were advised to do so by a local – and chill out in the shade of the garden.
In case you have some time left and in the mood to fill your lungs with fresh air, bring a visit to the nearby cloud forest of San Lorenzo!
The restaurant of Viracocha, with its lovely patio
Street art near the streets of Figueroa and Gral. Martin Güemes
Iglesia de San Francisco on the inside
Spotted a caterpillar
Escher like pattern on the floor of the cathedral of Salta
Iglesia de San Francisco
Convento de San Bernardo on the outside. As this convent is still in use and the nuns living inside are not allowed to contact the outside world, the area behind the walls is still a mystery
Inside of the cathedral of Salta
Decoration at the restaurant of Viracocha
Iglesia de San Francisco on the inside
Just a quaint house in the middle of the center
Igeslia de San Francisco as seen from Monumento al Martín de Guemes
Street art near the streets of Figueroa and Gral. Martin Güemes
Here’s where to find that colonial gem! ↓
