Glenn Dobbs

Feb 142 min read

Quebrada de las Conchas

February 13-14, 2024

“This natural masterpiece stands as a testament to the remarkable forces that have shaped our Earth and invites travelers to immerse themselves in the breathtaking beauty of Argentina's natural landscape.”

- Peter Lauffer

It’s a two hour plane ride from Mendoza to Salta, Argentina. As we continue to progress north in the country, Salta was an appealing stop before the Igauzu Falls.

You notice two things immediately when landing. Unlike southern Patagonia, this area is sub tropical. Trees are dense, very green and heavy with leaves and moisture. . The grasses and surrounding mountains reflect the considerable rainfall this area receives. After the dry brown landscapes we have visited all of the dense greenery was a little shocking. We are near the Pampas region of the country where much of the well known beef cattle are raised. We are also close to the border with Bolivia.

The next thing we noticed were the people. Argentina is a country of immigrants mainly from Europe. So, particularly in Buenos Aires, you do not often see indigenous people. As we get closer to the border with Bolivia that changes. Over 40% of the locals are “Amerindian”. They can trace their heritage to multiple Native American tribes, some lost to the centuries of time.

We will explore this old colonial time more in the coming days, but after landing we drove south about three hours to Cafayate. This is a charming town nestled amongst wineries. In many ways the small town feels untouched by time.

Some local wineries we visited -

And it is adjacent to the magnificent Quebrada de las Conchas canyon.

As we drove south we left the subtropical Salta region and entered rolling hills with red sedimentary sandstone rock scars. The last large rain had washed out several roads, but our route was secure. About an hour before reaching Cafayate we reached the mouth of the Quebrada canyon.

It was difficult to navigate the winding road while looking at the stunning formations. Here were colors of deep red, vivid green and cobalt blue. The twisted formations have been shaped by millennia of wind and water. We have never seen a more stunning red rock canyon before.

It was also dangerous to drive the road due to animals. Not since India have we seen more unkept loose livestock roaming the edges of the road. It was like a livestock safari. There were numerous horses, herds of goats, cattle, wild burros, llamas, and even two pigs happily living their best lives rooting at the roads edge. Around every corner you never knew what was going to be in the road.