The city of Salta has oodles of charm. It’s the capital of the province of the same name in the north of Argentina. The area is famous for its folkloric music and white wines, which are particularly palatable due to the favourable conditions created by the high altitude. Salta is among the ten most populated Argentinian cities, but it feels more like a village. Cobbled streets, walkability along the delightful cobbled floors, and a distinct lack of tall buildings create a small-town feeling. It’s only when you get to the top of San Bernardo hill (Cerro San Bernardo) that you really get to take in its grandeur.

 

Buenos Aires and the south of Argentina have more of a European look and feel, but Salta is the most indigenous province in Argentina in terms of ethnicity as well as culture. Locals boast that it’s a very liveable place and it’s got a bit of a laidback student vibe due to the two universities in the city, the private Universidad Católica de Salta and Universidad Nacional, which is free. It’s also very traveler-friendly with hotels and tour operators dotted all around. Travelers may enjoy some unique museums (all of which are closed on Mondays), including one where you can visit an exhibition of perfectly preserved mummified Inca children who were sacrificed to the other realm. Here are seven things to do on your next trip to the city of Salta.

 

 

1. Hotfoot it to Plaza 9 de Julio

Much of Salta can be discovered on foot. After checking into your accommodation, a stroll to the tranquil Plaza 9 de Julio is practically obligatory as it’s the undisputed heart of the city. Here you’ll encounter locals drinking mate, playing the guitar, and leisurely taking in Salta’s renowned warm weather. Situate yourself at one of the many alfresco cafes and enjoy traditional dances put on by Salteños of all ages, as well as the colorful buildings and charming architecture, which is French, Spanish, and neo-Gothic. Within the square, you’ll immediately notice the candy-colored Cathedral Basilica de Salta. This is one of Salta’s most recognizable buildings, and it’s also a Freemasons’ church. Watch out for the all-seeing eye watching over you.

 

 

 

2. Visit a peña

No trip to Salta is complete without visiting a peña, a traditional eatery with live music, regional food, dancing, and revelry. For dinner on day one, I would propose heading to La Vieja Estación where you’ll be treated to live music and an impassioned performance from gauchos (Argentinian cowboys). Salta is a wonderful place to learn about Argentina’s various traditional dances. There’s the tango (naturally), chamame, zamba, queja and the malambo.

 

At La Vieja Estación, you get to witness the malambo live on center stage. This fiery traditional dance sees men dueling with one another to show off their strength and agility via the zapateo, a term for very fancy footwork. When the men dance among themselves, their glares are tense as they’re in competition with one another. When the ladies come into the fold, they’re like sweet hummingbirds. It’s also a dance of old-fashioned romance; the ladies are in white dresses and the men are in black and red gaucho attire, and they exchange handkerchiefs as a sign of their adoration. It’s an entertaining and energetic show, and audience members are later invited to partake and learn some moves. Between the dances, a live band gives a musical performance tinged with comedy. La Vieja Estación is rather popular, so do reserve ahead.

 

La Casona del Molino (The Mill House) is considered to be the last true peña standing in Salta, where gauchos drink wine, sing all night, and tuck into authentic Salteña empanadas. Do try the local delicacies of tamales or humitas, or the sangria there, which is made with either red or white wine, orange, lemon, and sugar. It’s open every day except Monday, and it’s pumping anytime between 830PM and 5 AM. If you go in and it looks full, walk further in cause there’s additional seating at the back. Also, don’t be surprised to see locals with their cheeks stuffed full of coca leaves, which combat altitude sickness.

 

 

3. Don’t miss the empanadas

Salta enjoys a mild empanada rivalry of sorts with other Argentinian provinces. The empanadas here are juicily famous and Bolivians are actually said to call all empanadas “Salteñas” as they’re that good. Many locals will cite Doña Salta as the place to get the best ones, and the staff there are friendly, warm, and dressed head to toe in gaucho attire.

 

 

4. See some remarkable museums

Visiting Salta’s various museums will give you a well-rounded insight into the region and its significance in Argentina’s history. There’s the Museum of Fine Arts (Museo de Bellas Artes de Salta) and Museo Guemes, which attempts to outline the life and death of Martin Miguel de Güemes (a Salta hero of the Argentine War of Independence) in a light manner via interactive videos and talking portraits. It takes about an hour to go through the museum, photos are indeed permitted, and you do need to understand Spanish for the talking exhibits.

 

 

Adventurous souls may also pay a visit to Salta’s Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM), where three cryopreserved Inca children reside. The children were found 6,739 meters high in the Llullaillaco volcano in the Andes in the east of the Salta province along the border with Chile. Quechua linguists believe that Llullaillaco could mean “water of memory” or “that which hides away the water”. North American anthropologist Johan Reinhard studied the volcano during an expedition in 1999, where he discovered the bodies of the Llullaillaco children and their treasure trove of funerary goods.

 

Even if the idea of mummified children may not sit so well with you, the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña is a worthwhile visit to learn about the cryopreservation methods used and the Inca cosmos and their connection to the spiritual, an ideal yet invisible world. The children were sacrificed to the gods, and looking at the eerily lifelike figures (with black hair and all), you’ll notice intentionally deformed skulls that denote their noble origin and high social standing.

 

You don’t have to see the bodies if you don’t wish to, as they’re behind a screen. There are three children in total, however, the exhibit rotates, and you’ll only ever see one in the flesh at any given time to keep them well-preserved. Though over 500 years old, The Maiden (La Doncella) is technically 15 years old, The Boy (El Niño) is seven, and The Girl of Lightning (La Niña del Rayo) is just over six years old. Note that there is no photography allowed inside. The museum itself is in a beautiful historic building, and the full tour takes around an hour.

 

 

5. Hop on a city tour

To cram several sights into one day, take a half-day bilingual city tour by car. You’ll go up to Cerro San Bernardo, a hill that watches over Salta that is unquestionably the best vantage point to admire the city’s splendor. A man-made waterfall, two restaurants, souvenir shops, and a mobile wine store (as well as a gym) will keep you entertained at the top as you devour panoramic views of the city. There are three ways to get to the top of Cerro San Bernard: by car, by walking or running up a designated footpath, or with the Teleférico cable car (this is the most picturesque option). If you don’t go up the hill by car with an organized tour, then you should absolutely take the Teleférico while in Salta.

 

 

 

A scenic drive out to the neighboring town of San Lorenzo is typically also included in Salta city day tours. San Lorenzo used to be a summer town for the aristocracy. When Napoleon invaded Spain, plenty of wealthy Spaniards fled to Argentina and brought their silver with them, so there is a lot of visible wealth here. You will also get to spot a majestic white building that happens to be the childhood home of Argentina-born Dutch Queen Maxima Zorreguieta.

 

Salta City day tours also pass Monumento 20 de Febrero, which honors the victims of the battle of Salta in Plaza Armada Argentina and there’s a pit stop at the handicraft market so you can get your hands on all sorts of trinkets, textiles, Andean souvenirs, and keepsakes. At some point during the day, you will inevitably have a gander around Plaza 9 de Julio where your guide will explain some local history and Salta quirks that you might not find in the guidebooks.

 

 

6. Take the Train to the Clouds (Tren a las Nubes)

Train to the Clouds (Tren a las Nubes) is one of the most extraordinary experiences on offer in Argentina. One of the highest high-altitude trains in the world, it is an adventure through the depths of the Lerma valley on a railroad with a century of history behind it.

 

The province of Salta boasts some of Argentina’s most dramatic scenery, and the Train to the Clouds is a delightful way to take in all of it. It’s a journey for journey’s sake with the same departure and arrival point. The service takes passengers from the city of Salta 4,220 meters above sea level to the Polvorilla viaduct, which in itself is impressive. On the way there, you’ll be treated to the vastness of Argentina’s high Andes with hopes for a llama sighting or two.

 

All traces of city life are a distant memory as the train traverses the arid Puna region, which spreads across Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. The name comes from Quechua, the language of the Incas, and it means “place of high elevation”. The Andean Plateau (or Altiplano in Spanish) is second only to Tibet for having the most extensive area of high plateau.

 

Don’t burn the midnight oil the night before and get lots of sleep to prepare for the early check-in time and long journey (around 13 hours in total). The tourism authority also advises having a light meal and minimizing alcohol consumption the evening before. This apparently reduces the chances of succumbing to altitude sickness when the air is thin. Also, there are USB ports on the bus so you can keep your phone charged to be able to take photos all the way through.

 

 

 

7. Stay in a charming boutique hotel

Regularly making it onto the list of Salta’s best hotels is Legado Mítico, an intimate boutique property in the historical quarter. Set in a renovated townhouse, it has 11 rooms, each wholly unique and adhering to its own theme. The luxury rooms also have four-poster beds. Legado Mítico is a member of TheBBH, an alliance of the best small luxury hotels in Latin America. All guests receive a complimentary glass of Salteño wine alongside meaty green olives with llama-shaped cocktail sticks. Read a full review of Legado Mítico Salta here.

 

 

MUSIC TO LISTEN TO IN SALTA

Feel the Salta vibes with this curated playlist of songs.