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 at your leisure.

We leave the Andean city of Salta heading south and follow the Lerma Valley until it suddenly narrows into a gorge: the Quebrada de Cafayate. This gorge impresses with its red sandstone formations, which have weathered into bizarre shapes such as the frog, the obelisk, or the amphitheater due to wind and weather. We drive across the sandy plains of the Calchaquí Valley to the town of Cafayate. After lunch at the plaza, we head to the Quilmes ruins, one of the most important pre-Inca ruins in northern Argentina. Then we ride on top-notch motorcycle roads over the "little hell pass" into the green valley of Tafi del Valle.

First, we visit the Hinkelsteinfeld of El Mollar before going down through the dense tropical fog forest of the Sosas gorge into the fertile plains of Tucuman. After lunch, we drive back up the adventurous Los Alisos pass into the mountains to the remote town of Andalgala. Nearby, the semi-precious stone Rhodochrosite is mined, the national stone of Argentina.

We ride our motorcycles on a desert-like track to Belen, a lively little town at the foot of the Central Andes. Now back on Route 40, we ride along the Santa Maria River north to Cafayate, the wine capital of Northern Argentina, where we spend the night in a fairytale hotel.

Today's drive takes us along the Calchaquí River through narrow gorges and wide valleys, certainly a highlight of this motorcycle tour. We pass through the jagged rock formations of the 'Arrow Gorge', shaped by erosion. The beauty of this remote area almost surpasses that of the famous Quebrada de Cafayate. Lunch is at a paradisiacal top-notch winery. Overnight stay in the picturesque mountain village of Cachi, which is dominated by a mountain range over 6000m high.

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

The today's very intense day first takes us over a winding asphalt road - a motorcycle paradise - through wooded mountains into the picturesque Quebrada de Humahuaca, a gorge that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. We reach the 4000m high pass Abra del Condor and the enchanting mountain village of Iruya, which is surrounded by colorful rock walls and located 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 Iruya valley. The afternoon is free to experience the activities in the traditional mountain village of Iruya.

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

We explore the extreme northwestern corner of Argentina and reach the deeply carved Angosto Canyon before we circle the wide landscapes of the Laguna de los Pozuelos National Monument. This lagoon at almost 4000m is home to unique fauna and flora. Then we head back down to 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 the pre-Inca period before heading over the 4200 m high pass 'Cuesta de Lipan' to the dazzling white salt flat Salinas Grandes. After a short drive along a winding paved road, we turn onto a partially sandy gravel road that takes us through a hidden valley to the viaduct La Polvorilla of the famous 'Train in the Clouds'. After a short drive, we reach the mining town San Antonio de los Cobres.

Today we can expect a special motorcycle adventure: We will conquer the highest pass of Salta and Argentina, the 4895 m high Abra El Acay! The track gradually winds its way up the mountain to the pass, and we can enjoy the spectacular view of the vast plains of the Puna from 5 km above sea level. After this breathtaking motorcycle ride, we will leisurely follow the 'Train in the Clouds' back to Salta along good asphalt roads through the colorful Quebrada del Toro valley.

Today we are heading back home. We will take you to the airport, carrying many impressive impressions and wonderful memories.