HUMAHUACA ATTRACTIONS

The Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria y San Antonio Cathedral
The church, consecrated to Our Lady of the Candlemas was built in the year 1641. In its inside you will be able to appreciate in its gilded altar find art works of great value, such as the carved image of the Virgin herself, as well as the paintings showing the 12 prophets by the hand of the famous painter of the historical Cuzco School of painting, Marcos Sapaca. It is a National Historical Monument. It has a very old bell It is located facing the Main Square and can be visited every day of the year at 08:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM and at 07:00 PM.

The Reloj del Cabildo Town Hall Clockwork
On the facade of the Town hall, facing the Main Square there is an old clock that moves a life size image of San Francisco Solano. Every day, at noon time, it opens its door for the statue to hand out its blessing to the city and the Gorge in remembrance of his voyage through the area in the XVI century.

The clock: A piece of precision machinery of the highest quality made in Germany, wound up every 6 days, with counterweights and a precision pendulum which swings up to two m length. It sounds the hours, half hours and quarters. It has four minute faces complete with hands and transmissions. The whole piece of machinery weighs 1,800 kg.

Bells: It has three bells of sonorous bronze of the best alloy, all plain without any adornments, and their corresponding clappers. The hour bell weighs approximately 900 kg and the other two (sounding the half and quarter hours) 350 and 280 kg respectively.

Door: It is made out of metal and will automatically slide open on rails. It starts the articulated movement of the statue two times, at noon and midnight every day. (The door mechanism has an independent winding up mechanism that lasts eight days).

Mechanisms: The clock work mechanism allows for the following movements:

1. Inclination of the head
2. Inclination of the left arm towards the left and pointing at the earth.
3. Elevation of the right hand towards heaven.

The Torre de Santa Bárbara Tower
It rests on top of the Santa Bárbara Hill, to the left of the stately Monument to Independence. The remains of the tower of this church were used as a fort by the Spaniards and as a lookout by the Northern Independence Army. It was a battleground in 1837 and witnesed the war against the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederacy. At the end it was allow place for the Monument to Independence.

The Main Square and adjoining streets.
Around the small sized Main Square, there are shops belonging to the locals, which provide the place its own colourful scenery. In these different stands you will find handicrafts and hand-made clothing, such as ponchos and other items. The traveller will also find around the square some young people who descend of the Collas and will be ready to offer up popular verses.

The Railroad Station
It is interesting to stroll through the vegetable, textile and handicraft stands close to the railway station: that will be another way to get to know the historical streets of this picturesque town.

THE SURROUNDING AREAS
The imposing Quebrada de Humahuaca Gorge, an Argentinean paradise-like countryside, has been made a Cultural and natural Mankind Heritage Site by the UNESCO, and is the center of this scenic area through which the Río Grande flows.

The Gorge is the background for a very particular human establishment. Its interest is especially centered in everything concerning the use of the land, and there is much archaeological, technological and landscaping evidence to this, dating back to the arrival of man in America to the present.

The Town of Palca de Aparzo and its Fort
It is located 55 km from Humahuaca, down a dirt and gravel road flanked by a many colour countryside. Once in the Palca de Aparzo, a town steeped in its pure traditions, you can continue 3 km further south to the impressive ruins of a fort which, according to historians was used by the patriots in their fight for Independence at the gates of Zenta. There you will also find two lead and barite mines called "Santa Ana" and "Gigante". Here you will also be able to acquire local handicrafts, such as rainproof sheep wools cloth, ponchos and ceramics. Access is only through a dirt footpath.

The archaeological Site of the Inca Cave - Inca Cueva or Chulín
It is the archaeological site with more interesting rock cave paintings in the area. Practically all the bulwark and roof are covered by paintings done in red, white and black colours. They are done using geometric shapes in which the big white circles stand out, looking like suns or eyes. It is located up in the Chulín side Gorge. To get there go up the valley until you find a red grindstone hill which has on one of its sides a 40 m deep cave. Access is through a dirt footpath.

The Archaeological Site of Peñas Blancas
Located 2 km from Humahuaca, on the left bank of the Río Grande, this site covers an area where one can see the remains of big houses on top of a hill and the small adjacent gullies. There are also cultivation terraces on the hillsides and in many cases, they hold subterranean oval storage silos. Access to the site is through a dirt footpath.

The Belgrano Watchtower
The tower was part of the old Humahuaca church, which, according to legend, was used by General Belgrano, the creator of the National Argentinean flag, to spy on the royal troops. It was partially shattered in the Battle of Humahuaca, 1817. Access is through a road that starts at the side of the Monument to Independence.