Salinas Grandes

In order to reach this solitary area, visitors must travel 60 kilometers along National Route 9 up to the crossroad with the road leading to Purmamarca. Once there, they must take National Route 52 and travel 126km more along the Lipán Slope up to Abra de Potrerillo, where the salt flats are located.

During the journey, we saw picturesque hamlets such as Yala, León, Volcán, Tumbaya and Purmamarca. At Yala, the mountain sceneries feature beautiful panoramic sights. This summer village offers visitors the possibility to camp and enjoy its six main lagoons and the large laurel and walnut tree groves.

We were gaining height as we followed a road through hamlets such as Quisquira, Patacal and La Ciénaga until we reached the winding Lipán Slope. The meandering road spirals up the Lipán Slope until it reaches 4,140 m.a.s.l., where the crystal-clear sky gets mingled with the frost and the grasslands.

Bush species such as tola and cacti such as cardon grow at the entrance of the Puna.

A few kilometers were missing for the curve to the left that indicates the way through the Pass of Jama. After bordering the town of Purmamarca, we head towards the Cuesta de Lipán, crossing villages such as Quisquira, Patacal and La Ciénaga.

The slope is a winding road spiraling up to 4140 m.s.n.m. Here you can see the first panoramic view of the salt flats.

When we reached the immense salt plain, we observed the form of extraction of the same. This saline is a chemical-evaporite sediment that in turn is divided into three types of zones inside the salar: the polygonal saline, the salt efflorescences and the slime.

The local workers explained the process for obtaining washed salt from the piletones, the scraping salt and the salt loaves that are molded with spikes and axes.

After a few minutes of contemplation and some of the souvenirs in salt carved the workers, we retraced the road to return to San Salvador de Jujuy.