Motorcycle Tour Northwest Argentina

You will be picked up at the airport in Salta and taken to the hotel from which the tour will start the next day. After a short introduction to the motorcycle tour and information about Salta, the rest of the day is free for you.

We leave the Andean city of Salta heading south and follow the Lerma Valley until it abruptly narrows into a canyon: the Quebrada de Cafayate. This canyon impresses with its red sandstone formations, which have eroded into bizarre shapes like the Frog, the Obelisk, or the Amphitheater due to wind and weather. Over the sandy plains of the Calchaquí Valley, we ride to the small town of Cafayate. After lunch at the Plaza, we drive to the Quilmes ruins, one of the most important pre-Inca ruins in northern Argentina. Then we take a first-class motorcycle route over the 'small hell pass' into the green valley of Tafi del Valle.

First, we visit the standing stone field of El Mollar before descending through the Sosas Canyon, through dense tropical cloud forests into the fertile plains of Tucuman. After lunch, we ride the adventurous Los Alisos Pass back up into the mountains to the remote town of Andalgala. Nearby, the semi-precious stone rhodochrosite, the national stone of Argentina, is mined.

On a desert-like track, we ride our motorcycles to Belen, a lively town at the foothills of the Central Andes. Now back on Ruta 40, we follow the Santa Maria River north to Cafayate, the wine capital of northern Argentina, where we will spend the night in a fairy-tale hotel.

Today's ride takes us along the Calchaquí River through narrow gorges and vast valleys, certainly a highlight of this motorcycle tour. We traverse the jagged rocky landscapes of the 'Arrow Canyon' shaped by erosion. The beauty of this remote area nearly surpasses that of the famous Quebrada de Cafayate. Lunch will be at a paradisiacal first-class vineyard. Overnight stay in the picturesque mountain village of Cachi, which is overlooked by a mountain range over 6000m high.

To return from Cachi to Salta, we first cross Los Cardones National Park, a plain covered with thousands of cacti, cross the Cuesta del Obispo Pass, and wind down the breathtaking gravel road through the Valle Encantado back to Salta, where we will spend the night.

Today's very intense day first takes us along a winding paved road - a motorcycle paradise - through wooded mountains into the picturesque Quebrada de Humahuaca, a gorge declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. We reach the 4000m high Abra del Condor Pass and the charming mountain village of Iruya, surrounded by colorful cliffs at a narrow point of the valley.

In the morning, we will take a mountain hike of about 5 hours up to a plateau with overwhelming views of the valley of Iruya. The afternoon is free to experience the life in the traditional mountain village of Iruya.

Over the Abra del Condor, we return to the paved road and continue north towards the Bolivian border, where we reach the remote village of Yavi. There, the historic church Iglesia de San Francisco, the rock carvings of Las Cuevas, and the petroglyphs of Laguna Colorada can be visited.

We explore the extreme northwestern corner of Argentina and reach the deeply cut Angosto Canyon before rounding the sweeping landscapes of the national monument Laguna de los Pozuelos. This lagoon at almost 4000m is home to a unique fauna and flora. Then we head back down into the Quebrada de Humahuaca for an overnight stay in the lively town of Tilcara.

First, we visit the ruins of the fortress village Pucará de Tilcara from pre-Inca times before heading over the 4200m high 'Cuesta de Lipan' to the dazzling white salt lake Salinas Grandes. After a short ride over winding paved roads, we turn onto a partially sandy gravel road that leads us through a hidden valley to the Viaduct La Polvorilla of the famous 'Train to the Clouds.' After a short ride, we reach the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres.

Today, a special motorcycle adventure awaits us: we will conquer the highest pass of Salta and Argentina, the 4895m high Abra El Acay! The road gradually winds up the mountain to the pass and we can enjoy spectacular views from 5km above sea level over the vast plains of the Puna. After this breathtaking motorcycle ride, we leisurely follow the good paved road back to Salta through the colorful Quebrada del Toro, following the 'Train in the Clouds'.

Today we head back home. We will take you to the airport, bringing along many impressive impressions and wonderful memories.