Very early in the morning – before breakfast – we leave from Salta to Tolar Grande town.
On route we will pass through Campo Quijano and probably we will stop by the longest viaduct of the famous Tren de las Nubes, known as the Toro Viaduct.
During the trip we’ll go through “Quebrada del toro” (bull gorge). Also we’ll visit Santa Rosa de tastil where we’ll make a short stop to help our breathing get more accustomed to the altitude and San Antonio de los Cobres town, where we’ll stop for lunch (not included).
Then we’ll go to the west up to the highest point, Abra Alto El Chorrillo (4.560 m.a.s.l.) from there will go down through the Salt Lakes (salar de pocitos). After a couple of hours, we will make a stop in a natural viewpoint called Siete Curvas (seven curves), were we can appreciate one of the most wonderful highlights of the trip: The incredible “Desierto del Diablo” described as a postal of Mars with its bright red colored rock formations.
We’ll cross this amazing area and after one hour and a half we are going to arrive to Tolar Grande, located in the corner of the great Salar de Arizaro.
Tolar Grande is a small village with no more than 400 inhabitants. There we will appreciate an abandoned train station that used to be a part of the industrial trail that connected Argentina and Pacific in the 19th century. After the military coup in 1930-s the trail was closed and the city nearly disappeared.
Currently the city has a medical center, a small hotel, a couple of cafes, grocery, church, school, police station, tourist information office, radio, internet access, but nearly no telephone signal.
Accommodation in Mountain shelter
Meals included: Breakfast & Homemade dinner.