SUSQUES

If the travellers manage to reach this out of the way place, which serves as the border crossing to Chile, they will find that the historical documents surviving from colonial times only mention Susques for the first time during the last quarter of the XVIII century, in spite of the fact that it already was an important mining town in the Puna region of Atacama.

After independence from the Spanish Crown was gained, the Atacama region stayed with Bolivia and in 1884, after the so-called Pacific War, between Peru and Bolivia on one side against Chile on the other, the region passed to the Chileans. At that time there were only about 300 peasants left scattered in the area, which only came together during the local religious festivities.

They had already changed their income sources and were dedicated to livestock breeding and trade. After the arbitration in the border limits conflict with Chile, the town of Susques ended up on the Argentinean side, at first it was part of the Governance of the Andes, and later on it was transferred to the Province of Jujuy.

The little town experienced a spontaneous growth after the edification of the church and the community hall. Another important element is the wide street running in front of the church, along which all the houses are aligned.

However, the church in which the locals take part in religious festivities, and which has been declared a National Historic Monument, dates back to 1598, when the local people themselves built it.

It is unlike most churches in the region in its thatched roof and tower. Inside there are wonderful paintings of the Cuzco School and an antique landscape painting of Bethlehem. The bells you can hear in the tower were brought from Chuquisaca.

The Department of Susques, in the southwestern region of the Province of Jujuy, covers an area of 9,199 square km. Its capital, holding the same name, has 671 inhabitants. The surrounding landscape is formed by 3 mountain chains and 2 rolling highland plains. There are hot springs like the ones at Aguas Calientes de Coranzulí and Aguas Calientes de Tuzgle.

The weather is dry and cold, characteristic of the Puna highlands, and vegetation is poor: represented only by tola, mallow and the añagua. Wild animal life is represented by vicunas, condors, vizcachas and fox.

The economy of the area is centred on livestock breeding and mining: there are deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, salt and borax. It is the only route that goes into Chile through the Jama pass.
At the entrance of the town you will find the Loma de Susques, an archaeological site, a place where the ancient inhabitants made artefacts in the grey quartz stone of the area.

There are no hotels and accommodation has to be taken in private homes.

In Susques there is the customs checkpoint before entering Chile. Please remember that it is also the last place where you can get gas for your car in the case of travelling to Chile through the Jama pass, which is located 124 km west of the town down Ruta Nacional Nº 52. Once in Chile, the closest town is San Pedro de Atacama, located 165 km from the pass.