PUNA EXPERIENCE

Arrival at Salta, welcome upon arrival and transfer to the hotel, Dinner at leisure. Accommodation Balade au Canada de l'est,

Breakfast, Just 30 kilometres from Salta, the Gola del Toro is like a natural lift connecting the green Lerma Valley with the desert plateau known as the Puna. Over 95 kilometres, this wild Quebrada climbs from 1,200 metres to 4,000 metres at the Abra Blanca Pass, the entrance point to the Puna. The Incas also explored this passage, as it was part of the Capaq Ñam or Royal Road, a strategic 5,000-kilometre route built to unite the Inca Empire from Quito in Ecuador to Mendoza in Argentina. San Antonio de los Cobres is the current capital of the Puna, a dusty village with a colourful community, our last point of civilisation and the final destination for most tourists. Abra Chorrillos will be our highest point, and there we will learn about the Apacheta and its cultural importance to Andean traditions. After crossing the geologically dying salt lake of Pocitos, a 3-hour journey through wild and unspoilt nature begins. The Labyrinth Desert, an ancient fossil desert of 10-million-year-old dunes, is formed by pinnacles of clay and gypsum crystals. Today, it is possible to drive through this natural wonder, an unmissable stop for lovers of photo safaris. Tolar Grande is located on the edge of a gigantic depression, the Salar de Arizaro, one of the largest salt flats on the planet. From this tiny railway village built in 1940, you can enjoy a unique view of the western crest of the Cordillera, an endless horizon of volcanoes over 6,000 metres high., lunch at a restaurant, dinner at the restaurant. Accommodation Essential Patagonia - 3-Star Hotels - Buenos Aires / Puerto Madryn / Ushuaia / El Calafate

Breakfast, Crossing the dry salt lake of Arizaro is reminiscent of the ancient journey of the Arrieros (shepherds who drove caravans of animals to Chile). Arizaro, which means 'Cemetery of the Vultures', takes its name from a period when many animals (cows and horses) perished while crossing the salt flat. Antofalla is a spectacular and important example of an oasis in the Puna; in the middle of a high-altitude desert lies a green valley, thanks to a natural spring of pure water, rich in poplars, molle trees and willows. Antofalla, together with Antofagasta and Santa Rosa, was an important station for the llama caravans that connected this part of the Andes with the Atacama oasis. The oasis is located right on the border with the longest salt flat in the world, between red mountains and lava streaks. Antofalla is still inhabited by a very small community of 60 people, all shepherds. We will stop here for lunch, then cross the colourful mirror of the salt lake. At over 4,200 metres, with sweeping views of the Antofalla Volcano (6,400 metres), lies a green field (Vega Colorada), inhabited by llamas, suris (Andean ostriches), wild donkeys and vicuñas. The Calalaste Valley, a few kilometres from Vega Colorada, is the best place to spot wild camelids. Antofagasta de la Sierra was the largest oasis on the route connecting this side of the Andes with the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama (Chile); today it is a large village with more than 2,000 inhabitants who keep their ancient traditions and culture alive. The name Antofagasta means 'place where the sun shines' and it is surrounded by countless volcanic peaks., dinner at the hotel. Accommodation SUD ESSENZIALE - HOTEL CAT. 3 stelle - Buenos Aires / Ushuaia / El Calafate (copy).

Breakfast, Our adventure begins today on the edge of Campo de Piedra Pómez, as we reach the Carachi Pampa basin. On its shores is a volcano of the same name, surrounded by fields of black lava and a lagoon, where you can spot Andean flamingos and James's flamingos (or puna flamingos). During the dry season, a small salt lake forms around the lagoon. Later, our journey will continue inside the Campo de Piedra Pómez Nature Reserve, a strange and breathtaking landscape carved into the rock that gives the place its name: pumice. Of purely igneous origin, it was generated by a massive explosion of the volcanic subsoil. This cloud scattered ash and debris over large areas in different directions, which crystallised due to the temperature, giving shape to these extraordinary rocks with their unique characteristics, full of cavities formed by the escape of gas during the cooling phase. This degassing phenomenon made the rock very easy to sculpt for the winds of the Puna, arid and impetuous winds that move freely in the region, becoming the best and most famous stone sculptors in the Andes. This surreal landscape of white labyrinths and sand dunes to climb is located a few kilometres to the west, on a track that crosses sandy expanses that could be described as every explorer's dream: a true overland adventure., box lunch, dinner at the hotel. Accommodation,

Breakfast, Leaving early in the morning, we will head towards Antofagasta de la Sierra, entering the Real Grande region (4,050 metres), where traces of the first settlements in the Puna can be found, represented by ancient petroglyphs dating back 10,000 years. This area is also the access point to Cerro Galán from the north-western side. Cerro Galán is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world and the most impressive in the Andes. Its dimensions are impressive: 34 kilometres from north to south and 24 kilometres from east to west. It is the result of a huge Plinian eruption that occurred about 2.2 million years ago. Its identification as a volcanic caldera was only possible thanks to satellite images, as its elliptical shape is too vast to be recognised from the ground. Its walls reach an altitude of 5,000 metres, while the central peak reaches 5,912 metres, and the bottom of the caldera is at about 4,500 metres. Inside the caldera, in the south-western corner, is Laguna Diamante, home to flamingos and ducks, protected from the winds by high rock walls in an extremely inhospitable environment. Our route will then take us to another high-altitude Andean lake: the Laguna Grande Reserve, a salt lake located at an altitude of 4,150 metres. During the winter, the water freezes completely, but with the arrival of spring, it becomes the largest gathering place for Puna flamingos, also known as Parina Chica (Phoenicopterus jamesi), with over 19,000 specimens (25% of the known population). It is also an important summer gathering place for the Andean flamingo (Phoenicopterus andinus) and a common nesting site for the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis). We will end the day by reaching El Peñón, bathed in the warm light of the sunset, perfect for contemplating the wild beauty of the Andean plateau., box lunch, dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast, After days of intense travel on the High Altitude Desert Plateau, the North-West still has many surprises to offer. The paved road from El Peñón to Ruta 40 crosses a golden field of Paja Brava, white lagoons and a narrow, deserted canyon that is surprisingly rich in vegetation. We will make a short stop in Cafayate, a pleasant town surrounded by green vineyards. In the afternoon, when the light is at its best, we will cross the Quebrada de las Conchas, a 65 km long gorge formed by sedimentary rocks from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras (between 90 and 60 million years ago), characterised by an intense red colour due to the presence of iron oxide in the mineral deposits. The name 'delle conchas' (shells) derives from the abundance of marine fossils, fish and molluscs, evidence of an ancient humid tropical climate that once dominated the area. Salta, with its green valley, will welcome us at the end of five days of a unique adventure, among surreal landscapes, ancient cultures and unforgettable natural wonders., lunch at a restaurant, Dinner at leisure. Accommodation Balade au Canada de l'est.

Breakfast, transfer to the airport,