Discover Northern Argentina Plus! the Ruins of Quilmes
Discover Northern Argentina Plus! the Ruins of Quilmes
Here's an exciting bicycle touring opportunity to get a little further off the beaten path in Latin America. This tour presents irrefutable proof that there is a lot more to see and do in Argentina than visit Patagonia! We'll bicycle through areas that were once home to a thriving pre-Incan population and the archeological heritage demonstrates the prosperity that came with being located in the spectacular Rio Grande Valley. A large part of the area includes the famous Camino Inca or Inca Trail and a major trade and cultural route between Buenos Aires, Bolivia and Peru. We start with three days of glorious downhill bicycling as we come down from our 10,000 foot perch in Salta. We'll pedal on paved roads through lush valleys, stopping to explore pre-Incan ruins, deserts, cloudforest, and wine country. We ride through the twisted and dazzling geological formations of Quebrada de las Conchas, see the famous ruins at Quilmes, and stop in San Miguel de Tucuman, the city where a delegation first declared Argentina's independence in 1816.
***If this sounds great but you'd like a shorter tour check out our Discover Northern Argentina tour, which includes the first 8 days of this tour.***
There are no upcoming tours scheduled at this time.
Purmamarca's Cerro de Siete Colores, the Mountain of Seven Colors
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UNESCO World Heritage Site Quebrada de Humahuaca
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Geological formations at Quebrada de las Conchas
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Colorful deserts
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Incan ruins
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Rides through lush green valleys, quiet villages, and wine country
Keep in Mind: We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.
Arrive in Salta a few days early and adjust to the altitude before our transfer to Humahuaca with sits at nearly 10,000 feet. Great downhill bicycle rides for the first 3 days. Our bikes in South America are aluminum frames and the road bikes come with a carbon fork. The hybrids have front shocks, and 26 inch wheels.
Includes
Shuttle from the Salta airport, 11 nights accommodation, 11 breakfasts, 3 packed lunches, 7 dinners with wine, including a special "finca" visit
Arrive / Depart
Salta (SLA) / Tucuman (TUC). There is a reciprocity entry fee for entering Argentina through an international airport; USA, Canada and Australia passport holders are required to register and pay the fee online prior to arrival.
Highlights: Quebrada de Humahuaca, Tilcara, Pucara' de Tilcara
We'll offer a shuttle from the Salta International Airport at 2:30 pm or from the center of Salta at 2 pm and drive north to the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage site and our home for the next few nights. We stay in colorful and delightful Tilcara, one of the most famous towns in the Jujuy province which merges indigenous cultures with modern times. We'll plan to fit bikes and suggest a ride north up the canyon, toward Humahuaca and Bolivia (about 240 km away). We'll enjoy a welcome dinner together tonight. Mileage: Your choice for a short ride.
Highlights: Ruins of Tilcara, Cerro de Siete Colores, small indigenous towns, Purmamarca
After a safety talk this morning, we encourage you to either visit the Pucará de Tilcara if you have not already done so, or ride north in the canyon to see its colorful walls. The Pucará de Tilcara is a restored Incan fortress that overlooks the modern town of Tilcara; you can see the strategic position the Incas chose to build their fortress! When ready, glide down the canyon; none of the tourists traveling by bus have the opportunity to stop at the small villages along the way, so be sure to take time to explore places like Posta de los Hornillos and Maimará on your way. Delight in the vibrant walls of the Quebrada, made up of a variety of mineral deposits that merge to create a rainbow of rocks. We'll see this very well in Purmamarca, which is famous for the Cerro de Siete Colores, the mountain of seven colors.
Distance:27 km (17 miles) to Purmamarca; as much additional mileage as you want north. Meals: B, D
Highlights: Rest day, bike to over 13,000 feet, Cerro de Siete Colores, walk or bike the surrounding hills, salt flats
We have a rest day today in the town famous for its "Cerro de Siete Colores." Walk the 4 km gravel path around the colorful mountain, or head off for some other hiking in these sedimentary rock hills. Anybody wanting a challenge can bike up the 25+ hairpin turns to reach 4170 meters (13,681 feet). Or, we'll help arrange a visit to the salt flats high above to see the incredible expanse of white, bordered by dominating mountains. Or, relax and wander the village, visiting the church and shopping in the main square where street vendors sell traditional crafts as well as woolen goods from nearby Bolivia.
Distance Optional: Approx 58 km (36 miles) up to Cuesta Lipan at 4170 meters and continue to salt flats. Shuttle back to Purmamarca.
Highlights: A 3000 foot descent, optional ride to thermal spas, Capital of the Jujuy Province
We fly downhill today to the capital of Jujuy province, San Salvador de Jujuy. Stop along the way at the villages of Tumbaya and Volcan or bike an extra ride up to thermal pools. Our landscape changes as we lose the sandy, rocky colors of the desert and enter a more urban area. San Salvador de Jujuy is a well-preserved colonial town and is home to a lovely cathedral, built in 1750, surrounding Plaza Belgrano. If the Indian market is open be sure to visit; most vendors dress in traditional costumes selling food, indigenous crafts and textiles.
Today is our first day with some physical effort as we climb out of the Jujuy valley to enter the Salta basin through a cloudforest. We spend tonight in the city of Salta, the capital of the Salta province, known to Argentineans as "Salta la linda," or "Salta the beautiful." Take time to visit the famous archaeological museums and the important sites of the city.
Highlights: Lush green valleys and quiet countryside
We leave the city for the quiet countryside and green valleys south of Salta: as we ride we'll see many whitewashed colonial farm houses amid fields of one of the finest types of tobacco in Argentina. Our destination is the small village of Coronel Moldes; you can relax or take an extra ride into the verdant hills around the lake resort area of Dique Cabra Corral. In the late afternoon we'll visit a finca, a typical tobacco farm and we'll learn about the gauchos and their work in the field. We'll enjoy dinner together at the finca, where the owner will cook us a delicious asado.
Highlights: spectacular scenery, Quebrada de las Conchas, Cafayate
We'll start our day with a shuttle to a goat farm, where you can buy some cheese, or maybe some "dulce de leche" made with goat milk! Today's ride could easily be labeled "the most beautiful ride ever." We'll pedal through the Quebrada de las Conchas, riding by geological formations eroded into forms such as the "Devil's Throat," the "Frog," the "Amphitheater," the "Monk," and more. Take your time through the canyon as the late afternoon light creates an explosion of colors over the last 30 km. We arrive in the colonial town of Cafayate tonight, famous for its wines and a base for adventure travel in the area.
Enjoy a rest day in Cafayate today - we'll recommend a ride to the nearby town of San Carlos, or, for those interested, we'll help arrange a visit to the Quebrada de Las Flechas, a stunning expanse of rock formations jutting up perpendicularly from the ground, or back to the Quebrada de Las Conchas for a sunset walk. Opportunities abound to sample local wines and specialties.
Distance: Your choice, 28 km possible on paved roads (17 miles). Meals: B
Highlights: Wine country, famous ruins of Quilmes, Pachamama ("Mother Earth") museum complex
Our ride from Cafayate takes us by several of the vineyards that make this area's wine famous. We are riding along the valley toward the most famous ruins in Argentina - Quilmes. The indigenous community here resisted the Inca invasion first and then the Spanish occupation for 130 years until 1667 when they were finally defeated; the Spaniards forced the population to evacuate the village and march toward Buenos Aires. Hundreds died along the way, and the town of Quilmes fell into ruin. The survivors settled north of Buenos Aires and christened their new town, after the old and called it Quilmes. Wander through the partially restored ruins for a stunning view of the entire valley and visit the museum. Continue for another 17 km (10 miles) to arrive to the small town of Amaichá, famous for its museum complex dedicated to Mother Earth.
Distance: 66 km (41 miles). Meals: B, D
Lodging: Hotel Altos de Amaicha
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10: Tafí del Valle
Highlights: biking over the "Infernillo" pass, through cactus and mountainous landscape
We leave the Quilmes valley to ride or shuttle up and over 1000 meters (3300 feet) to enter the valley of Tafí del Valle. Set in a fertile valley this famous town acts as the local resort for the people of the nearby city of San Miguel de Tucuman. We'll climb just under 1000 meters (3200 feet) through a desert environment with cactus covered mountains to the summit - the Spanish conquistadores used this pass to enter Argentina as they traveled East from Peru. You'll notice a dramatic difference in the landscape as soon as we begin our descent to the valley; the vegetation suddenly becomes lush and green.
Highlights: Tropical forest, San Miguel de Tucuman
We have a screaming downhill through a luscious tropical forest, the yungas, a stark contrast from the Alpine meadow valley area of Tafi and the desert like environment of the previous days. We finish our tour in the city of San Miguel de Tucuman, the largest city in northwestern Argentina. This provincial capital is where delegates declared the country's independence from Spain on July 9, 1816.
Distance: 109 km (68 miles) - 50 km (31 miles) are downhill. Meals: B, D
We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.
Arrive in Salta a few days early and adjust to the altitude before our transfer to Humahuaca with sits at nearly 10,000 feet. Great downhill bicycle rides for the first 3 days. Our bikes in South America are aluminum frames and the road bikes come with a carbon fork. The hybrids have front shocks, and 26 inch wheels.
Pre-Trip Planning Checklist
To Do Today!
Read through your Reservation Confirmation Email, it has important information to help you plan your trip!
Check the date on your passport. The expiration date should extend three months past your date of return to your home country
Reserve your flights after you know you have a confirmed tour departure. Please check with our office if you do not know if your trip is confirmed. As you make your plans refer to the Getting To and Away sent to you in your booking confirmation email it provides meeting times and the starting and ending hotels and shuttle information when applicable.
Book your pre and post-tour hotel nights. Please refer to the Getting To and Away sheet you received in your Reservation Confirmation Email.
12 weeks before your tour begin your training program found on this page.
Final payment is due 90 days prior to the tour start. Please refer to your Deposit Payment Invoice and the Final Payment Reminder e-mail you have received for detailed instructions.
6 Weeks–2 Weeks Prior to Departure
Start reading one of the books or watching one of the movies from our Suggested Reading and Movie List which you'll find on the country page linked from the www.experienceplus.com/travelinfo page.
Sailing the boat, every afternoon relaxing on the boat after biking and swimming, lovely dinners, hearty breakfasts, bee keepers, traditional dinner out, rides through the islands (up and down!), guides, fellow passengers, crew on the boat-- really it was ALL great.
Cheryl A., Colchester, VT - June 2021
Gentle
Gentle terrain includes mostly undulating/flat sections and a rare longer climb (less than 3 km - 2 miles) with an average grade less than 3%.
Rolling Hills
Rolling hills featuring multiple gentle slopes (average grade of 3-4%) usually less than 3 km (2 miles). There may also be an occasional shorter (less than 2 km -1 mile) but steeper climb. Or a longer climb where the average grade is less than 3%.
Hilly
Hilly terrain has climbs up to 3 km (2 miles) with an average grade between 4% and 6%. There may also be climbs longer than 3 km (2 miles), but with an average grade less than 4%.
Very Hilly
Very hilly terrain includes one or more climbs, some of which maintain an average grade (meaning you will have short sections both steeper and less steep in the same climb) of 7% and 8% for no more than 3 km (2 miles). There will also be some longer climbs, but with a lower average grade.
Mountainous
Mountainous terrain includes one or more climbs with an average grade over 8%. Mountainous rides can also include longer climbs (more than 5 km - 3 miles) with an average grade up to 6%.
Level 1 - 1.5
For those desiring gentle rides with a limited amount of climbing.
Level 5, also known as our Expeditions, are multi-week tours designed for strong riders looking for the challenge of riding across countries or continents.
Gentle terrain includes mostly undulating/flat sections and a rare longer climb (less than 3 km - 2 miles) with an average grade less than 3%.
Hilly
Hilly terrain has climbs up to 3 km (2 miles) with an average grade between 4% and 6%. There may also be climbs longer than 3 km (2 miles), but with an average grade less than 4%.
Very Hilly
Very hilly terrain includes one or more climbs, some of which maintain an average grade (meaning you will have short sections both steeper and less steep in the same climb) of 7% and 8% for no more than 3 km (2 miles). There will also be some longer climbs, but with a lower average grade.
Mountainous
Mountainous terrain includes one or more climbs with an average grade over 8%. Mountainous rides can also include longer climbs (more than 5 km - 3 miles) with an average grade up to 6%.
Tour Levels
Level 1 - 1.5
For those desiring gentle rides with a limited amount of climbing.
Level 5, also known as our Expeditions, are multi-week tours designed for strong riders looking for the challenge of riding across countries or continents.
Gentle
Rolling hills
Hilly
Very hilly
Mountainous
