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Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure
13 days from £3,729pp

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Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

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Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

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Feeling as remote as the wilderness of Amazonia or Antarctica, the Puna de Atacama is a vast, other-worldly, arid landscape of extremes. On your six-day, guided expeditionary road trip you will be almost alone in rarefied, high-altitude desert mountain scenery as alien as the surface of Mars. 

A rugged plateau straddling Argentina and Chile, the Puna has intensely varied scenery with high mountain passes, salt-carpeted depressions and a crescent of volcanoes within which are glass-still lakes, pewter-shaded lava fields, ochre-hued volcanic cones and silvery pumice desert, slashed through by glacial streams. It's immense: the size of England, dotted with just a handful of hamlets. The region has been inhabited in the past: Inca ruins stab the volcanic peaks and ghost towns - abandoned mining villages - are fascinating to explore.

Your holiday here is bookended with a brief discovery of two of Argentina’s most fascinating historic cities, Buenos Aires and Salta. 

Holiday itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Buenos Aires.

Day 2

Guided walking tour of Retiro and Recoleta.

Day 3

Fly to Salta. Afternoon guided walking tour.

Day 4

At leisure in Salta. Optional day walks.

Day 5

Your expedition begins: drive to Purmamarca.

Day 6

Enter the Puna: drive to Tolar Grande.

Day 7

Explore the Puna from Tolar Grande.

Day 8

Further explorations of the Puna en route to El Peñon.

Day 9

Explore the unique, pearl-white pumice fields.

Day 10

Leave the Puna and descend to Cafayate.

Day 11

At leisure in Cafayate.

Day 12

Return to Salta airport via Las Conchas Canyon, fly to Buenos Aires.

Day 13

Transfer to the airport for international flight.

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What our experts say

This is one of my favourite holidays to Argentina. I love the expeditionary feel of this trip – you truly feel as though you’ve left Earth behind and have ended up in an incredible, alien landscape. If you have already visited Argentina, enjoy exploring and would like to experience something completely different then this is an adventurous holiday that would definitely be worth considering.

David

David Nichols

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Places visited on this holiday

Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

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Buenos Aires
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Overview Fact file
Buenos Aires
Along with Rio, this is a city worth crossing the Atlantic for in its own right. Dynamic, stylish and nostalgic, it’s the continent’s most European city, but does not lack South American verve. Its contrasting neighbourhoods reveal colonial plazas, shady avenues, quirky antique fairs, street art, world famous theatres and football stadiums and spruced-up metropolitan port districts. Studded with extensive parks, cutting-edge boutique hotels, designer boutiques and a myriad of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, it’s a restless place, challenging to find your way around but well worth the effort. It’s the beating heart of Argentina, the hub for visits throughout the country.
When's the best time to visit Buenos Aires?

Buenos Aires is at its hottest Jan-Mar (very humid with tropical showers, occasionally over 40C during the day). It can be cold and cloudy Jul-Aug, so weather conditions are best for a visit in spring and autumn. Dec-Feb and Jul are local holiday times: Porteños head for the beach.

What's the official language in Buenos Aires?

Spanish.

How do I get local currency in Buenos Aires?

Argentine Peso.

Notes can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card. Limits may be lower than your UK bank allows. Please note that in 2016 many of the ATMs were not functioning properly; we are recommending that for the moment you take a good supply of US dollars cash. There are many banks and money exchanges (casas de cambio) where you can exchange US dollars cash; rates for euros and sterling frequently poor. 

What's the time difference between Buenos Aires and the UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places combine well with Buenos Aires?

Beach time in Mar del Plata (392 km by road, 5hrs); Colonia or Montevideo in Uruguay across the River Plate: travel by ferry, bus or plane; a stay on a working estancia in the pampa south and west of the city; Iguazú Falls (2hrs approx by air).

How long is the flight to Buenos Aires from the UK?

Average flight time is 14hrs 20mins on a direct flight from London. There are also flights requiring a change of plane in Europe or the USA.

What are the festivals and cultural and sports events in Buenos Aires?

Tango Festival: Aug. The world's – top tango festival, nine days  of concerts, shows, free classes, exhibitions, open-air milongas (Avenida Corrientes is closed for a massive display) and other tango-related festivities.

Opera season: Mar-Dec. Take in a concert or opera at the refurbished Teatro Colón which attracts internationally esteemed artists. 

Argentine Polo Open: Mid Nov-mid Dec. Polo is a passion for many Argentines. This is the year’s main attraction, taking place in Palermo’s 16,000 seater stadium.

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Salta and the northwest Andes
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Overview Fact file
Quebrada de las Conchas
Spiritually and culturally closer to the neighbouring Andean countries than the rest of Argentina, the remote northwest provinces have loads of attractions for visitors. These range from snow-dipped peaks, salt flats and arid, rust red canyons to lush forests, pre-Columbian ruins, lonely lime-washed chapels and a necklet of baroque colonial towns. The sunlit slopes are cloaked with vineyards, and everywhere there’s a warm welcome from the local people, many of whom have indian roots. At 1,200m above sea level, Salta is a delightful base for exploration of the region with a sumptuous cathedral, palm-shaded plazas and a cable car lift for views over the fertile countryside.
When's the best time to visit Salta and the Argentine Andes?
Salta has plenty of sun throughout the year but it can be cool in winter, when the trees and vines have lost their leaves, but it is drier with little rain falling Apr-Oct. The popular Train of the Clouds runs weekly Apr-Nov. The many festivals in the region mostly take place Dec-Mar.
What's the official language of Salta and the Argentine Andes?

Spanish.

How do I get local currency in Salta and the Argentine Andes?

Argentine Peso. Notes can be withdrawn from ATMs (many on calle España) using a UK credit or debit card. Limits may be lower than your UK bank allows. offering favorable rates for cash dollars. There are also banks and money exchanges (casas de cambio) where you can exchange US dollars cash;  rates for euros and sterling are harder to find and frequently poor.

What's the time difference between Salta and the Argentine Andes and UK?

GMT -3 hours. Sometimes daylight saving is observed in the summer, but this is announced ad hoc on a year-on-year basis.

What places combine well with Salta and the Argentine Andes?

Mendoza in Argentina’s prime wine-producing region (direct flights 3 times a week, 1hr 40mins); Iguazú Falls (daily flights to Puerto Iguazú, 1hr 50mins) Chile’s Atacama desert around San Pedro de Atacama (12hrs scenic drive); southern Bolivia (11hrs drive to the border at La Quiaca).

How do i get to Salta and the Argentine Andes?

A flight from Buenos Aires to Salta takes 2hrs.

What are the festivals and cultural and sporting events in Salta and the Argentine Andes?
Many religious, artisan and agricultural festivals and processions take place throughout the region from January through Carnival to Easter every year.
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Medellin
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Overview Fact file
Medellin Centre

Medellín, long considered an edgy city to say the least - synonymous with the activities of its most famous resident, Pablo Escobar - has undergone a miraculous transformation.  

Now considered the engine of Colombia, it is bursting with enterprise, both commercial and artistic, with top quality gastronomy, music and enthusiastic partying also high on the agenda. There isn’t much to see here of the Spanish colonial heritage, as the drive towards modernisation has resulted in its replacement by glittering and innovative modern buildings and parks featuring sculptures and street art, free for all to observe and admire.

Medellín hosts many festivals and other social events, the most famous being the flower festival which takes place in August every year  (in 2018 it starts on 3 August) and features a parade of floral floats which must be the most colourful in Colombia.

On any walking tour, riding the cable cars, or en route to any one of many internationally renowned restaurants, you can feel the vibe of youthful optimism and pride which permeates the city.  It’s also a good base for visits to other attractions with good road and air links to many parts of the country, including the nearby coffee region, the Pacific beaches at Nuqui, and hikes in the surrounding hills.

When's the best time to visit Medellin?

The region in which Medellin is situated is an all-year destination. It enjoys a pleasant, temperate climate with plenty of sun and enough rain to keep the landscape verdant, and Medellin is known as the city of Eternal Spring for good reason. 

What's the official language of Medellin?

Spanish

How do I get local currency in Medellin?

Peso. Notes can be withdrawn from ATMs in all major towns and cities, including Medellín, using a UK credit or debit card, though you may have to advise your bank first and amounts that can be withdrawn may be lower than in the UK. Be aware that some ATMs are often out of service but there should be a working one nearby. Banks will offer advances on a credit card, but with a lot of paperwork. Money exchanges (casas de cambio) change US dollars cash (very few accept euros or sterling and the rate will be poor).

What's the time difference between Medellin and UK?

GMT - 5 hrs

What places combine well with Medellin?

Medellín has air links with major Colombian cites such as Bogotá, a contrasting city with a large colonial centre and the famous gold museum;. and Cartagena Colombia’s most graceful and atmospheric cities, on the Caribbean coast. You can easily drive from Medellin to the beautiful Zona Cafetera coffee country - self-drive or escorted; visit the upcoming resort Honda on the Magdalena river, or travel to Nuqui on the Pacific coast in the steamy tropical  Chocó region.   

How do I get to Medellin?
You can fly direct to Medellín from New York, Miami, Lima, Mexico City, Panama City among other important cities. There are frequent domestic flights from Bogotá to Medellín, 1hr; several daily from Cartagena, also 1hr approx, adn from about 10 other Colombian cities. Colombia also has a good road network, though the mountianous terrain means journeys can be long.  

Things to do on this holiday

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City tour of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires
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A guided tour of the giant multi-faceted city can be undertaken by car, on foot or by bike.

If you begin your explorations with a walking tour, you’ll learn your way around at the same time as covering many of the key sights. A stroll along the shaded pavements of chic, sophisticated Buenos Aires is a joy for any city lover.

Buenos Aires’ central districts reveal the city’s distinguishing divide: while some areas feel very European. The Italianate Teatro Colón is a highlight, some tours take you inside to tour its lavish interior.

The San Telmo quarter is the city’s oldest neighbourhood and arguably its most atmospheric. Cobbled streets lined with balconied façades spill over with bric-a-brac shops, tango parlours and pavement cafes, and tango dancers pound the pavements of the Plaza Dorrego.

In contrast, the well-heeled neighbourhood of Recoleta encapsulates the city’s European elegance. Walk along its wide boulevards, lined with mansions and parks, before visiting the Recoleta Cemetery where elaborate mausoleums house the remains of Argentina’s great and good.

Complementing this picture, the bustling district of Retiro contains a number of historic buildings and palaces, and in nearby Plaza de Mayo you will visit the famous Casa Rosada from whose balcony Evita once addressed the nation.

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Enjoy a wine tour in Cafayate

Vineyard in Cafayate
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The fertile soils of Cafayate harbour a patchwork of sun-drenched vineyards. Many specialise in Torrontés, a native white grape variety with distinctive peach and apricot aromas.

This is an established wine region with a rustic charm that tempts you to linger. The area’s many wineries, some of which still cling to traditional methods of wine production, open their doors for bodega tours and tastings; we can show you our favourite places to compare vintages and see the winemaking process first hand. There's plenty of temptation to linger in Cafayate itself (altitude 1,700m), a relaxed and attractive small town with a sunny climate.

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Visit the Humahuaca Gorge

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Like the backdrop to an old Hollywood western, the arid plains around the Humahuaca Gorge are spliced with canyons and dotted with cacti. Many of the tiny settlements that lie in the folds of its barren hills consist of nothing more than a collection of adobe homes dominated by a gleaming white chapel.

From the lovely village of Purmamarca (2,400m), which lies at the foot of the famous Hill of Seven Colours, you can delve right into the Humahuaca Gorge with its candy-striped rock faces and inhospitable desert terrain. We’ll also take you to Tilcara, where you can explore the ruins of a pre-Inca fortress high on a hilltop affording superb views.

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Walking tour of Salta

Tour of Salta
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With its laidback pace, convivial Salta is a great place in which to wander. The Spanish legacy remains obvious in the city’s attractive squares, cathedrals and convents, while here in the country’s northern reaches you can also detect an affinity with neighbouring Bolivia.

To complete your stroll on a literal high, this half-day walking tour concludes with a trip to the top of San Bernardo Hill by cable car to see the city unfold before you.
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The Puna wilderness of Andean Argentina

Puna
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As remote as the wilderness of Amazonia, Antarctica or the Gobi desert, the Puna de Atacama is a nation-state sized other-worldly landscape of extremes. Set off on an expedition here, and you will be almost alone in rarefied, high altitude desert mountain scenery as alien as the surface of Mars. 

The Puna de Atacama is a place which steps out science fiction. A rugged plateau straddling Argentina and Chile, it consists of intensely varied scenery with high mountain passes, salt-carpeted depressions and a crescent of volcanoes within which are glass-still lakes, pewter-shaded lava fields, ochre-hued volcanic cones and silvery pumice desert, slashed through by glacial streams. It’s immense: the size of England, dotted with just a handful of hamlets. It has been inhabited in the past: Inca ruins stab the volcanic peaks and ghost towns – abandoned mining villages – are fascinating to explore. All of your adventure is spent at over 3,500m above sea level with some spectacular highs at over 4,500m.

There are few real roads. Travel in a pick-up truck with your guide.  It will be a unique, pioneering, expeditionary adventure; one you’ll never forget.

Accommodation on this holiday

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Kenton Palace

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Overview
This modern property boasts stylishly eclectic décor and personalised service. Kenton Palace's 80 rooms and public areas are light and uncluttered, with furnishings conveying a contemporary urban feel. Guestrooms have city or courtyard views and are equipped with super-sleek bathrooms with freestanding bathtubs and rain showers.

One of the hotel’s greatest assets is its location: slap bang in the centre of town, a stroll away from the main sights, restaurants and bars. Radiating outwards from the vicinity of the hotel are a broad array of attractive and lively areas, such as the Plaza de Mayo, the bohemian San Telmo district, the new port development at Puerto Madero and the boutiques and eateries of Recoleta.

Hotel amenities include an impressive range of facilities for children. It also has a spa, with spotless heated pool, Jacuzzi, gym, sauna and massage services.
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La Comarca

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Overview
La Comarca has picturesquely scattered adobe-style buildings which comprise this pleasant mid-range hotel are built using regional stone, wood and clay and painted in pastel shades that blend right into the Technicolor landscape. They sit amongst lovely landscaped grounds of tall trees, cacti, wild grasses and desert flowers.

There are standard rooms and individual cottages – the latter have a living area, kitchenette and terrace. All are stylishly decorated, with splashes of colour and local handicrafts. There is a restaurant, bar and wine cellar that holds wine-tasting sessions. Leisure facilities include a heated swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and small spa offering massages and beauty treatments.
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Vinas de Cafayate

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Overview

Vinas de Cafayate's modern property, which has been constructed with  neo-colonial  flair, is situated in the centre of extensive vineyards at the foot of Cerro San Isidro. It’s a stately place, with colonnades shading a terracotta veranda from where you can survey the vines and to granite hills and a ravine beyond. The guest rooms are classically cosy with large bathrooms

Facilities include a large outdoor swimming pool, library, and lounge with open fireplace - it can get a little nippy at night. The smart gourmet restaurant uses produce from its own organic kitchen garden. The establishment doesn't produce its own wine but it has an impressive wine cellar, from which you can choose an excellent wine to accompany your dinner. 

 

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Hosteria Casa Andina

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Overview

Tolar Grande is an isolated village – virtually the only community of any size in Argentina’s remote, chilly, high altitude Puna desert in the northwest Andes. Although nowadays it is developing and new facilities are being added, the basic infrastructure is meagre indeed, so the discovery of this friendly and cosy property is a delight for visitors. It is owned and managed by the local community). It’s simple but attractive inside with tiled floors and beamed ceilings. 

Although the guest house is not staffed during the day, you’ll get a warm welcome when you arrive. There are just four compact guest rooms and a suite;  each has heating and hot water shower. The plain white walls and tiled floors are offset by classic puna tones of slate and red in their fabrics.

One of the nicest things about this little hotel is its relaxing, toasty lounge, heated by a wood burning stove, with sofas and a complimentary tea/coffee station. Simple meals, including breakfast are taken at either of the two comedors (simple eateries) which are within 100m of the hosteria.

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Hosteria de Altura el Penon

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Overview

This friendly, community-owned property is the closest the remote salty wilderness of Argentina’s northwest Andes (Puna) gets to rustic-chic. It is a comfortable, homely and small adobe-brick inn just five minutes’ walk from the plaza in the quiet rural village of El Peñon.  It has just a handful of spacious guest rooms, well-heated by unusual exterior wood burning stoves. The dining room has a warm and welcoming feel with native textiles hanging from adobe walls and an open fire with a couple of relaxing armchairs.

Breakfast is continental-style homemade biscuits and pastries, and the hotel serves simple dinners. There’s a weak wifi signal in the dining room – but don’t rely on a connection.

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Hotel la Candela

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Overview

Colonial Salta is rich with colonial mansions, once family residences but many of which, like this one, La Candela, have been converted into small and friendly hotels. The mid-range property has a great location close to the historical centre, but is a peaceful oasis with a charming palm-shaded garden embellished with lawns and pretty pot plants set around a terrace framing an outdoor pool.

Guest rooms are bright, cheerful and a bit retro, with a simple style which nods both to colonial Spanish elegance and a provincial guest house. They are well equipped with modern facilities however. The suites have Jacuzzi bathtubs and junior suites feature both living room and balcony. Other facilities include a cosy sitting room, breakfast room, snack bar and TV lounge. It’s popular among European visitors and families are welcome.

Speak to an expert Travel Consultant or send us your enquiry today.

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Our specialists have been expertly crafting award-winning tailor-made holidays to Latin America for over 37 years.
We would be delighted to create a truly personalised trip which perfectly matches your wishes and requirements.

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Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

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Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

13 days from £3,729pp

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