ARGENTINA’S SALINAS GRANDES, ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST SALT FLATS

by YouShouldGoHere
November 26, 2019
in Go Here
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[JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA] — Here’s an overview of the Salinas Grandes salt flats in Northwestern Argentina. What to do in Salinas Grandes one of the world’s largest salt flats in the Salta and Jujuy provinces of Argentina. How to visit Salinas Grandes.

Cue the voiceover from the Voice of God dude in movie trailers: “In a world where…” and you’ll get a feeling what it’s like to make the trip to tour Salinas Grandes in Argentina, one of the largest salt flats in the world. A well-worth-it side detour from traveling up the Humahuaca Gorge in Jujuy province.

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My trusty guide Augustin, who I’ve known only for an hour says, “But first we must make a stop.” pulls over to a skanky strip center off to the side of the road and comes back to the truck with some coca leaves and some unnamed Bolivian snuff. “This will make the altitude better, it’s legal here…and necessary, because ‘The Altitude.’

We do a bump and take a wad in of leaves our mouths and crank up the Salteño tunes. Not saying anything as we look out the window, nodding to the music.

*I was down with the coca leaves. And then there was some magical Bolivian snuff that made the trip more pleasurable*

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How to Visit the Salinas Grandes

curvy roads Salinas Grandes — *After leaving Salta, we drive up the road an hour or two, then up the Cuesta de Lipan* *with switchbacks to dream for.*

You start out in Salta city at an elevation of 3,800ft, then up, up, up your drive, gaining steep elevation to top the 14,300 foot mountain pass.

Taking a steep and windy left from the main road, you go up and over the switchbacks, often through the clouds, into a high arid plain, with the Salinas Grandes (salt flats) looming like a mirage at the distance.

You see it and you keep driving and driving. It seems close, but it is far away.

road to Salinas Grandes — *There it is. You drop down from the 14,000ft pass to the lake bottom at around 11,000ft elevation. The Hwy 52 crosses the flats and eventually runs straight into Chile.*

Cranking great Salteño music on the stereo and chomping on coca leaves and some unknown Bolivian snuff, it is like descending into the dream sequence of your own personal movie.

Salinas Grandes–One of the Argentina’s Top Natural Wonders

The Salinas Grandes is the world’s third largest salt flat (the largest is just across the border in Bolivia) and considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Argentina. At 11,000ft (3400m) elevation, the air is dry and thin and you’ll catch your breath and cook like a rotisserie chicken on the bright sun.

There’s very little rain at this high desert, but in the summer the rains collect and serve as a giant mirror to the sky. In other months it’s a crunchy salt flat — I timed my visit perfectly in March. In summer, it’ll hit 90-100 degrees and in winter, below freezing.

mirror image clouds Salinas Grandes — Clouds above your head. Clouds below your feet. As far as the eye could see. One big giant mirror.

clouds in sky Salinas Grandes — *There’s very little rain at this high desert, but in the summer the rains collect. In summer this is just endless salt.*

The lack of humidity, high altitude and bright sun just mess with your eyes and brain. Almost numbs you when you’re there. Distances are distorted and colors are electric.

There are no special effects, because it is real. Or unreal, once you get down to the shimmering reflections of the salt flats off the main road. The clouds. The shallow water. The unbelievable silence. At over 11,000 ft (3,400 meters) it’s the intense sun that fries you in minutes.

jumping Salinas Grandes — *The lack of humidity, high altitude and bright sun just mess with your eyes and brain. Almost numbs you when you’re there. Distances are distorted and colors are electric.*

Augustin Leguizamon guide Salinas Grandes — *I had the most fantastic guide, Augustin Leguizamon, a Salteño with encyclopedic knowledge of all of Salta and Jujuy province and Bolivia, just across the border.*

My trusty and encyclopedic guide, Augustin Leguizamon, parked his powerful Ford F250 off the side of the road with the doors open and Salteno music adding to the perfectly surreal effect as we enjoyed a fine lunch-ona-rock with wine, cheese and cured meat sandwiches. Even spending just moments there, you will remember the hallucinatory views for the rest of your life.

When friends see these pics, they go “Ooooooh, where’s that?”