THE QUEBRADA CIRCUIT

It is the central area of the province and, by far, the best known within and outside Argentina; it comprises the Departments of Humahuaca, Tilcara and Tumbaya. Its pleasing valleys and gorges "quebradas", its old, historical cities, and deeply rooted customs make it a very attractive place for visitors.

The central axis of this area is the Río Grande River, boxed up between the many coloured mountains. It is and has always been the everlasting natural route of communication in the area; with at present the Ruta Nacional Nº 9 National Route running along it. This river basin, from its headwaters until it gets close to San Salvador de Jujuy, makes what tradition, history, geography and custom has always called the Quebrada de Humahuaca Gorge.

It is a long and narrow valley, with the Río Grande River running from the north towards the south, dry in winter and overflowing in the summers. This are the rivers that join it during its course through the quebrada: Calete, Yacoraite, Jueya and Huichaira. The mountains that stand on both sides of the gorge have this names: Sierras Altas, El Aguilar, San Bernando, San Javier, Punta Corral, Horconal and the Aparzo.

The Quebrada de Humahuaca Gorge is found in the northeastern part of Argentina, in the Province of Jujuy, close to 1500 km from Buenos Aires. La Quebrada de Humahuaca is a perfect combination of amazing landscapes and archaeological treasures. It is almost 155 km long.

Before the discovery and colonisation of this region, the Inca Roadswent through the Gorge and later became the passageway for Spanish conquerors and expeditions who came down from the what was then called High Peru or Alto Perú (today Bolivia) to Buenos Aires (Capital of the Río de la Plata Viceroyalty) and during the wars for Independence it was used by patriot troops.

It has a very healthy climate: close to the Río Grande River it is moderate, but at a short distance temperatures become more pronounced. For the larger part of the Gorge, the climate is moderate and very few times it goes above 30 ºC during the southern hemisphere summer, nor it drops to 0 ºC during the cold and windy days in winter.

Like in the Puna highland area, houses seem to grow from the ground, as they are made from adobe bricks. Population centres of great importance during colonial times have risen. Much interest is arisen by the important pre Hispanic settlements. Wherever you go today in thes valley, you will find innumerable remnants of the past; rock paintings, settlements, Pucaras, etc.

Thus, for many reasons many pre-Hispanic customs still endure in the region. This can be seen in the community celebrations where the cult of the Earth Mother the "Pachamama" and other pre-Colonial rites survive as the traditional rock piles "Apachetas" by the roadsides and on the top of the hills survive beside colonial churches.

You can access all the settlements in the area in your own or in a rented car by a paved road; furthermore, there are more than 25 daily frequencies by public transportation, which connect the different parts of the region. There is accommodation to be found In most localities. During the southern hemisphere summer, the road may suffer interruptions because of heavy raining.

UNESCO declared the Quebrada de Humahuaca Gorge a Cultural and Natural Mankind Heritage Site in 2002.