The drive from Salta to Cafayate along Route 68 is iconic and ranks easily as one of the best road trips in Argentina.
Imagine a slow unpeeling of the earth where nature’s green and fertile land transforms into red rocks and cracked canyons. And just when you think it can’t get any better, the final section appears like you’re staring into the crumbling abyss of the earth’s core.
Route 68 spans 190km and takes about 3 to 4 hours to complete without stops. However, stopping is inevitable once you enter Quebrada de las Conchas – an 80km stretch of road that winds through a natural reserve filled with dramatic rock formations.
If Salvador Dali was commissioned to create his largest work of art, it would be something like Quebrada de las Conchas. Instead, the artist is millions of years worth of geology shaping the landscape into strange and surreal forms.
Quebrada de las Conchas is the highlight of Route 68 so I’m going to focus on this section by highlighting several unmissable geological landmarks.
Quick overview of Salta to Cafayate (Route 68)
Without stopping, Route 68 takes around 3 to 4 hours. However, stopping is inevitable once you get closer to Cafayate and enter Quebrada de las Conchas. If you don’t get out of the car, you miss the point of this road trip entirely!
Taking this into account, the route from Salta to Cafayate can easily take you the whole day so set off early.
Once you get out of Salta and the surrounding suburbs, traffic is minimal, which adds to the feeling that you’ve stumbled onto a private corridor through geological time.
The road itself is well-paved and surprisingly smooth. If you’re travelling in rainy season you might be faced with some very big puddles and flooding can be an issue. We navigated them easily, but were thankful we opted to hire an SUV.
Once you enter Quebrada de las Conchas the magic begins. Dramatic geological forms suddenly appear almost out of nowhere and from every direction. The landscape shifts from lush and green to dry and red in a matter of only minutes. It’s like crossing an invisible border into an entirely different planet.
The sheer size, frequency and appearance of the rock formations truly boggle the mind. Adding to this are the colours, shapes and patterns conjured up by nature’s artistic palette.
Luckily for me, my boyfriend was driving so I could sit back to admire the views. I must have said wow a hundred times over.
Don’t worry if you’re the one driving – there are ample places to park up, stretch your legs, and admire the views up-close. Small parking bays are dotted all along the roadside to make stopping easy and safe.
Attractions along Quebrada de las Conchas
We pulled over more times than I could count, sometimes for an official viewpoint, sometimes just because the colours were too absurd to ignore. We gawped at way reds bled into oranges, streaks of violet and chalky white, as if the mountains had been painted and then left out in the rain.
Upon entering Quebrada de las Conchas, the landmarks come at you within rapid succession of each other – someone just minutes apart. Honestly this stretch of road is littered with some of the best rock formations you’ll ever see in one place. Mind-blowing. Here are some of my favourites in chronological order.
1. Garganta del Diablo — the Devil’s Throat
Garganta del Diablo is the first attraction to visit and it’s also the most touristy with a few vendors selling pretty, hand-made souvenirs at the entrance. Admission and parking is free, as too are all other sites on this list.
Garganta del Diablo translates to The Devil’s Throat due to its tubular shape and reddish rock. There’s a short but steep climb that requires you to haul yourself up a rock face which takes you further into the devil’s chasmic throat.
2. El Anfiteatro
Next up is El Anfiteatro, a natural amphitheatre located just a 2-minute drive from the first attraction. From the parking lot, you will notice a pathway that takes you through a huge crevice in the rock which opens out to a perfectly formed amphitheatre.
It’s an easy stop which presents a nice photo opportunity and doesn’t require any sort of climbing or scramble.
3. Mirador Tres Cruces
Now that you’ve seen the two most popular sights, you’ll likely have most of the following ones to yourself. This mirador offers incredible views of the valley. The contrast of the bright green grass below against the towering red canyons and surreal rock formations is a sight to behold.
Be sure to walk up the steps to reach the higher the panorama. This is a quick stop that requires very little effort despite the rewarding views.
4. El Sapo
Nature takes on anthropomorphic shapes across Quebrada de las Conchas. All you need is a little imagination. However, little is needed to see why this rock formation is called El Sapo, Spanish for The Toad.
While it’s not essential to get out of your car to spot El Sapo, conveniently perched on the side of the road, there’s a short walking path behind it that presents nice views of the surrounding landscape.
5. El Obelisko
This pink monolithic pillar rises out from the ground to command attention at 26 metres tall. It’s worth getting out of your car to walk its circumference.
There’s no barrier at the back so walk around for better photo opportunities. There’s also a view overlooking multi-coloured canyons, shaped and coloured like a painter’s palette.
6. Las Ventanas
Shortly after leaving El Obelisko, you’ll drive through a natural arch formation that surrounds the road like two pillars that mark a passageway to a new dimension. You think things can’t get any better, but the rock formations and canyons get even more impressive.
Immediately after this there’s a little parking space on the right and a signpost that reads Las Vantanas that translates to The windows.
The name seems to be in reference to one of the quirky formations that has a window-shaped hole in the middle of it. There are signs forbidding people to climb onto the rock, so don’t do anything silly for a selfie. Instead, you can follow a short track around which opens up to a beautiful view of the valley.
If you want to do more hiking, you can turn back to the direction of your car and cross the road which leads out to more walking trails.
7. Los Castillos
Los Castillos are a set of rock formations that resemble dreamy tall castles. Unfortunately I didn’t have much time so I just admired it from a distance. If you do have time you can walk through the valley to reach these striking formations.
8. Los Colorados
Los Colorados was my favourite stop of the whole road trip. The rock formations are truly out of this world. It looks like a playground of petrified melting blocks of Swiss cheese. I could have spend hours here just climbing and exploring all the cracks and crevices.
9: Los Medanos
Before reaching the town you have one final stop to complete your road trip from Salta to Cafayate. Los Medanos consists of large sand dunes set back far from the road and hidden from view. After you park up the car you need to walk for 5 – 10 minutes down a sandy path lined by trees and eventually you arrive at this beautiful spot to relax.
After being surrounded by so much rock, this came as a nice change of scenery. The feeling of my feet sinking into the soft sand somehow felt like the perfect way to wrap up my exploration of Quebrada de las Conchas.
Tip: I actually visited the sand dunes the following morning as I didn’t have time to fit it in with all the other geological landmarks en route to Cafayate. As you can see, there’s quite a lot to fit in so you don’t need to see everything all at once if you are returning to Salta on the same route. I would actually encourage you to spilt up the attractions so you have more time and energy to explore each attraction.
Arrival in Cafayate
By the time Cafayate finally revealed itself, vineyards suddenly emerged from desert tones, Everything was once again green and fertile. The town is gentle, unhurried, and filled with bodegas.
While an intoxication of nature had already happened somewhere back on Route 68, we were keen to try some local libations. After all that time on the road, it was now time to relax and indulge.
Speaking of which – if you have the privilege of being a passenger princess, be sure to gift your designated driver with a glass of wine once you reach Cafayate. They definitely deserve it!
→ Want to see more of Northern Argentina? Check out the beautiful town of Purmamarca famous for the Hill of Seven Colours.
