Safari to the Clouds

One of the principal tourist attractions of Salta is the Railway to the Clouds, which rises to over 4200m above sea level. I took an alternative tour, The Safari to the Clouds, in an odd-looking open-roofed vehicle named MoviTrack, suitable for 18 passengers.

The road approximately follows the railway line, 170km up to San Antonio de los Cobros, a dusty mining village at 3775m above sea level. Further ahead, in the middle altiplano, we visited the Salt Flats, a vast expanse of salt which gave me a taste of things to come in the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia.

The trip back down the valley took us through some spectacular scenery and an through Purmamarca, an old village with a jesuit church, a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the 2 hour drive back to Salta, we enjoyed some wine and had a little party inside the vehicle!