Argentina Guide
The Northwest
Quebrada del Toro
Whether you travel up the magnificent gorge called the Quebrada del Toro by train – along one of the highest railways in the world – in a tour operator's jeep, in a rented car or, as the pioneers did centuries ago, on horseback, the experience will be unforgettable, thanks to the constantly changing dramatic mountain scenery and multicoloured rocks. The gorge is named after the Río El Toro, normally a meandering trickle, but occasionally a raging torrent and as bullish as its name suggests, especially in the spring. It swerves up from the tobacco fields of the Valle de Lerma, 30km southwest of Salta, through dense thickets of ceibo, Argentina's national tree, ablaze in October and November with their fuchsia-red spring blossom, past Santa Rosa de Tastil and the pre-Inca site of Tastil, to the desiccated highlands of the Puna Salteña, Salta's altiplano, focused on the ghostly mining village of San Antonio de los Cobres. Between this highest point and Campo Quijano, in the valley bottom, RN-51 and the railway wind, loop and zigzag side by side for over 100km, joining two distinct worlds: the fertile, moist lowlands of Salta's populous central valleys, and the waterless highland wastes at an altitude of over 3000m.
Many tour operators in Salta offer alternative, more adventurous tours by road, many of which ironically follow the train for much of the way, offering passengers the chance to photograph the handsome locomotive and wave at it frantically, expecting passengers to reciprocate. Clark Expediciones can meet you at the train when it stops at Polvorilla Viaduct, and guide you around the altiplano in a jeep; although you miss out on the return train journey and the folk show, you get the best of both worlds: the train ride plus a chance to explore the area more independently. MoviTrak runs the most popular jeep safari excursions up the Quebrada del Toro, often combined with a return leg down the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
The Train to the Clouds
Travelling through the Quebrada del Toro gorge on the Tren a las Nubes, or Train to the Clouds – when it is operational – is an unashamedly touristic experience. At the time of writing, however, the train had been out of service for several months while undergoing repairs – you should refer to the local tourist offices for the most up-to-date information.
Clambering from the station in Salta to the magnificent Meccano-like La Polvorilla Viaduct, high in the altiplano, the smart train – with a leather-upholstered interior, shiny wooden fittings, spacious seats, a dining car, a post office and even altitude-sickness remedies – was originally built to service the borax mines in the salt-flats of Pocitos and Arizaro, 300km beyond La Polvorilla. The viaduct lies 219km from Salta, and on the way the train crosses 29 bridges and twelve viaducts, threads through 21 tunnels, swoops round two gigantic 360° loops and chugs up two switchbacks. The highest point of the whole line, just 13km west of the viaduct, is at Abra Chorrillos (4475m).
When running, the train leaves (and returns to) Salta's Ferrocarril Belgrano station several times a week in July and August, with a less frequent service from April to June and from September to November. In January and February, and on a few days in April, May and June, a shorter trip leaves Salta at 7am and returns at 8pm; known as the Tren del Sol, or Sun Train, it goes only as far as the Estación Diego de Almagro, 3503m above sea level. Ironically, you are likelier to see clouds from the rainy-season Sun train – trips on the Train to the Clouds normally take place under a blazing winter sun without a cumulo-nimbus in sight.
Tickets for either route should be reserved in advance.