Argentina – Humahuaca & Serranías del Hornocal

Humahuaca gets its name from an Indian tribe called the omaguacas. The word means “sacred river” or “river that always will remain”. The small village is a main gateway to the viewpoint of its surrondings, and essentially the Serranías del Hornocal (Hornocal range of mountains), although you can also make the day trip from other cities such as Salta or Jujuy.

But it’s still a cute little place to walk through, and acllimatize with altitude. The central plaza is bordered by the lovely small Iglesia de la Candalaria y San Antonio. Despite its small size, the church is a cathedral, one of the smallest churches to serve that function. From the main square, take the stairs that lead to the Monument of Independance where you can see the entire village.

I stayed at Puerta Verde Hostel, a very peaceful and green hostel I recommend. The shower was good, the beds comfortable and the vibes very good. Also, it’s a 3 min walk away from the bus station, and they serve good food at the restaurant. Fair warning for the light sleepers: they have live music at 9 pm in the restaurant.

Serranías del Hornocal

Located 25km of the village, the magnificent Hornocal, a jagged row of rock teeth and spectacular colors. It’s a pretty hidden gem, and unless you’ve met other backpackers that suggested it to you (thank God I did!), you’d miss it. I don’t know why it’s not in the guides, but al least it’s not crowded (yet) so that’s good!

Tours run here (250 pesos + 50 pesos entrance fee) but you can get there with your own car, and the ride passes through fields where the guanacos run free. It will take you about 3 hours to get there and come back to Humahuaca. The colors are the best from 4 pm, when the sun brings out vivid hues. The view is breath taking, I couldn’t take my eyes off those colors. I’ve never seen the mountains with such a variety of colors before; 14 colors, arrowheads of shades of purple, red, yellow, green and ochre.

I felt drawn to get closer and closer to it. You can go to the mirador but also walk around walk around. Altitude is high so keep in mind that everything you walk down, you have to walk back up!