Salta
Salta la Linda: colonial streets round Plaza 9 de Julio, the Inca mummies of Llullaillaco a few steps from the Cathedral, and the Quebrada de las Conchas on the road to the Cafayate vineyards.
- Arrival
- Martín Miguel de Güemes · SLA
- To the city
- About 10 km south-west of the centre
- Private jets
- Airport of entry with customs at SLA
- Best time
- April to November
The city
One plaza, and the long roads out.
The colonial city gathers round Plaza 9 de Julio, where the Cathedral and the old Cabildo stand and the museum of high-altitude archaeology is a few steps away; the Convento San Francisco is the other landmark of the centre. For a view over the whole of it, a cable car climbs Cerro San Bernardo.
Salta is above all a starting point. Ruta 68 runs south through the Quebrada de las Conchas, past the Garganta del Diablo and the Anfiteatro, to the vineyards of Cafayate and their Torrontés. Further out lie Cachi, under a peak of more than 6,300 metres, and the line of the Tren a las Nubes, which climbs to 4,200 metres at the Polvorilla viaduct.
- Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña A few steps from Plaza 9 de Julio, the museum that keeps the Inca mummies of Llullaillaco.
- Quebrada de las Conchas A gorge along Ruta 68 towards Cafayate, with stops at the Anfiteatro, the Garganta del Diablo and the Mirador de los Castillos.
- Tren a las Nubes A train from San Antonio de los Cobres to 4,200 metres, crossing the La Polvorilla viaduct.
Arriving
A runway close to three kilometres long.
Martín Miguel de Güemes, run by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000, lies south-west of the city at about 4,100 feet. Its main runway measures 9,806 feet.
- Santiago 1 h 45
- Punta del Este 2 h 15
- São Paulo 2 h 50
- Bogotá 4 h 45
- Amsterdam 14 h 20 long-range jet
When to go
April to November.
Rain comes in summer, from December to March, more than 100 mm in each of those months. From April to November the valley is almost dry, with afternoons of 19 to 28 °C; the tourism board singles out spring and autumn, when days run from 15 to 25 °C.
- 28° J 174
- 26° F 155
- 25° M 109
- 23° A 30
- 21° M 7
- 19° J 3
- 20° J 2
- 22° A 5
- 24° S 6
- 26° O 24
- 28° N 61
- 28° D 121
Where to stay
On the plazas, and an estancia in the foothills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Hotel Alejandro I, Affiliated by Meliá Opposite Plaza Belgrano in the centre of the city.
- House of Jasmines Fourteen rooms in a restored century-old posada on an estancia in the foothills, with one MICHELIN Key and asados served in the garden.
- Sheraton Salta Hotel An international hotel in one of the city's best-known districts.
- Hotel Salta On Plaza 9 de Julio itself, the square of the Cathedral and the Cabildo.
- Hotel del Virrey A small hotel in a restored colonial mansion in the old town.
- Hotel Solar de la Plaza A boutique house in the colonial quarter.
- El Castillo de San Lorenzo A boutique hotel in the Quebrada de San Lorenzo, close to the city.
Where to dine
Dinner above the city.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Salta. El Baqueano is listed by 50 Best Discovery and was on Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants from 2013 to 2019.
- El Baqueano 50 Best Discovery Contemporary Argentine, tasting menu Top of Cerro San Bernardo, above the city
Elsewhere in Argentina
More reasons to come.
- Buenos Aires Recoleta, the tango halls of San Telmo, and the Teatro Colón.
- Mendoza Vineyards at the foot of the Andes, with Aconcagua in view.
- Bariloche A chocolate-making town on Lake Nahuel Huapi, with Cerro Catedral above it for winter.
- El Calafate A town on Lago Argentino, an hour by road from the Perito Moreno glacier.
- Ushuaia The southernmost city, where most Antarctic voyages set sail.
- Puerto Iguazú The falls seen from the Argentine side, on walkways over the water.
Flying to Salta?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.