On a Cable Car over Salta

After going around the historical Salta, we got to the Mount San Bernardo cable car at sunset. Located at the base of the mount in Parque San Martín, this resort was built between 1987 and 1988 on the mount that, as a result of its strategic position, watches over the entire urban area of Salta and part of the Lerma Valley.

Even if the San Bernardo can be climbed both by car and on foot, we chose a slow ascent on one of the cable cars that led to the summit. We were leaving the street hubbub behind and began to behold the “city of Hispanic lineage enclosed by hills”, as the poet Emilio Viñals would express.

On the top, the architecture harmonizes with the landscape and the exuberant vegetation. The terraces and balconies of the resort, built with rocks from the mount, offer marvelous panoramic views. In the distance, the roads to Cafayate and Campo Quijano, the world cup stadium, and the outskirts of the city may be observed. The domes of the La Merced, San Francisco and San Alfonso churches, as well as the Cathedral’s, trimmed against the sky, in addition to the Cabildo and the rest of the buildings surrounding the 9 de julio Square, are easily distinguished from the group of houses.

Beyond, I could spot the San Lorenzo Village and the road to Vaqueros and La Caldera and, a little closer, the monument to the Battle of Salta, best known by the dwellers of Salta as 20 de febrero, date on which General Belgrano’s victory in 1813 is commemorated.

Behind the vantage points, the constant murmur of the artificial cascade escorts the entire tour, an invitation to relax and watch the landscape, to see nice Salta from a different perspective.

Faithful to its religious tradition, 14 stations of the Way of the Cross were also built in Mount San Bernardo. This tour is made by pilgrims on every first Sunday of May, the day of the Cross. This symbol of the catholic faith was set on the mount in 1901 and two years later, an image of Christ the Redeemer was also built there.

As we strolled about and were amazed at the new distant sceneries, some Salta dwellers would search for shady nooks to prepare some mate, as that had become their usual family outing.

With an amphitheater where various events are presented, an area for sport training and a coffee-shop, the Mount San Bernardo resort proposes several options in its summit for visitors to discover the city of Salta from its landscapes and its rich cultural heritage.