Salta: Home Sweet North of Argentina

On the heels of my 30th birthday, I took a solo trip to the north of Argentina. Salta — with its accessible airport and central location — served as my home base throughout the trip. Discover the charms of this city that blends colonial grandeur and Andean tradition.

Welcome to Salta

First, some context. I arrived to Salta two days after turning 30. Prior to my birthday — in the thick of worrying over this upcoming milestone — I’d decided that I wanted to travel alone somewhere in Argentina. I craved freedom and space, a reminder that I am living far away from family and familiarity in order to challenge myself. Several friends had recommended the north for its natural wonders, hiking and, most notably, delicious empanadas.

To stay flexible and adaptable to people I met along the way, I didn’t create an itinerary (though I did pack all the necessities). I arrived to my hostel at 10 p.m., cuddled into the teetering top bunk bed and fell asleep while reading. Adventure comes in varying degrees.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cerro San Bernardo

On my first full day of the trip, when I was still a wide-eyed traveler without a plan, I went to the bus station to choose a destination and book my trip. I settled on Cafayate. On my way back to the hostel, I stumbled upon the Teleférico San Bernardo, an air tram that lifts you from downtown to the top of Cerro San Bernardo. I bought a ticket (200 pesos roundtrip) and waited for my ride, thinking they’d usher me into a tram with other travelers. Nope. I got my own lift, which was fun until my fear of heights kicked in and I realized that if I wanted out, I was out of luck. If someone on the street happened to look up, they would have seen a 30-year-old woman laughing maniacally as she ascended the mountainside.

Days later in the trip, when I stopped through Salta yet again, I found the staircase that leads to the top of the mountain. Treasure hunt: You can find the steps just beyond the corner of Güemes and Uruguay behind the monument of the general.

For those making the trip, I’d recommend climbing the 1,136 steps, admiring the sweeping view of Salta and then riding the teleférico back down.

Plaza 9 de Julio

Although I’d booked that ticket to Cafayate, I overslept and missed the bus. Oops. While I sat in the hostel courtyard trying to rearrange my travel times, a Danish guy joined me and we began chatting. He told me he planned to rent a car and travel in the opposite direction, further north to Jujuy with its salt flats and colorful mountains. The plan didn’t sound so awful, so I invited myself along and we reserved a car for the following day.

That afternoon, I relaxed in the green space of the colonial Plaza 9 de Julio with a beer in hand. Within the plaza sits the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, which currently houses the mummy of a sacrificed Incan child. After winding through halls with artifacts and history facts, you arrive face-to-face with the crumpled body. Scientifically, I found the preservation remarkable. Personally, I felt like an intruder peering at someone I wasn’t meant to see. To the embarrassment of my travel acquaintance, I cried a bit.

Day trip to Cachi

Following my days in the north and eventual journey south to Cafayate, I stopped again in Salta for a couple of days before returning to Buenos Aires.

The day before my departure, I took a tour to Cachi, a small town known for its colonial architecture and adobe houses. Along the way to town, our bus zigzagged up the mountain past fields of tobacco and corn, cactuses and bright yellow flowers.

We also passed Cepilla San Rafael, a high-altitude roadside chapel where travelers can leave an offering. Inside I spotted half-empty bottles of wine, cigarettes and bags of cookies.

But what I was waiting for was Los Cardones National Park, a vast forest of cactuses near Cachi. Visual oddities aside, the cactuses are said to have been the custodians of the ancient routes of the Inca Empire. These sturdy plants served as guards of the valleys and mountains, watchmen in the presence of strangers.

Stay a while (and then keep coming back until they’re all like, “Wait, you’re here again?”)

Throughout my time in the north, I passed through Salta four different times and stayed at the same place: Hostel Salta por Siempre. By the end of my trip, whenever I called the hostel, requesting a room again, they knew me by my voice.

“Ah, Alicia, ¿querés reservar una habitación otra vez?” Why yes, I would like to book another stay.

I continued going back for the laid-back vibe and friendly people, big green courtyard and comfy beds, and reasonable rates. With this home away from home, I found a bit of stability in the midst of the often discombobulating nature of greeting unplanned days and new faces.