THE PUNA HIGHLAND CIRCUIT

Vastness and brilliance are the first two impressions that the travellers receive when he visits the Puna highlands in the Jujuy Province for the first time. It is an area of clear skies and clean air, where one can look with admiration into the peaceful and deep eyes of the innumerable llamas, guanacos and vicuñas that one encounters on the road.

The word Puna derives from the old Inca Quechua where it means plateau or cold country. Its inhabitants are quiet, silent people, with ancient knowledge and roots, which still show in their clothing, food and way of living. The Puna is crossed by the old Inca Highway.

It is placed in the northern part of the Province of Jujuy and comprises the Departments of Rinconada, Cochinoca, Santa Catalina, Susques and Yavi. Its highland steppe like geography with arid soils makes it a difficult place to live in and you will find most of its inhabitants actually living in the towns of La Quiaca, Abra Pampa and Mina del Aguilar.

In the infinite territory that the Jujuy Puna encompasses it is a common view to find its inhabitants herding sheep and llamas, always under the protection of the mythical Coquena, a fairy of the highlands. At night, when the vicunas, flamingos and the ostrich suris sleep, the black immensity of the sky seems perforated by the luminous stars.

One of the characteristics of the area is its alpine lakes, such as Pozuelos, Guayatayoc, Vilama and Runtuyoc, as well as its immense salt flats, such as the Salinas Grandes (department of Cochinoca), Canchari, Jama and Olaroz.

The Natural Monument "Laguna de Pozuelos" Lake is like a pearl in the midst of the barren highland, as also the Olaroz-Canchari Reserve, with its important vicuna herds.

The local rivers, such as Cincel, Santa Catalina, Miraflores, de las Burras, Piscuno, Rosario, San Juan Mayo and San León are closed systems whose waters do not run into the ocean but into the lakes and salt flats mentioned above.

You will be finding archaeological remnants wherever you go: from the cave paintings at Inca Cueva and the Laguna Colorada Lake, the Siete Hermanos mountains and the pre-Columbian sites such as those at Pucará, Yavi and Tres Cruces.

The region was the southern part of the gigantic Inca Empire. Its peoples, mainly the Chicha, Atacama and Omaguacas, contributed to its greatness because of their rich cultural diversity, which can still be perceived even today.

Later on, during the conquest and the colonial era, the resulting cultural exchange created a new fountain of Andean resources that mixed with the mysticism that was prevalent in the area.

Surrounded by tall mountains, it has a weather showing wide temperature ranges during the day. During the southern hemisphere winter it is cold and dry, in summer it is hot and less dry; one thing is true, whatever the season, the traveller will find sunny days.

The local Patron Saints Days and the pilgrimages will attract infinite crowds of local people. On each of theses occasions worshippers can be counted by the thousands. On the other hand, music plays a very important role during these occasions, played on local indigenous instruments known as sikuris, Pan flutes or zampoñas (air instruments), quena and jerque (air instruments of cane reed or bone), caja or uancara (membrane percussion instruments), sistro or sonajero (mouth harps) and charango (string instrument).