11 Best Sights in The Northwest, Argentina

You'll find this surprising photography gallery by following a stony road that runs alongside the River Huichaira up into the mountains. The brainchild of photographer Lucio Boschi, the "museum in the hills" has two spaces displaying permanent collections as well as a temporary exhibit room. For the ultimate in artsy tranquility, kick back in the library while browsing coffee table books with a coca leaf tea.

Orange trees and vendors populate the central square, which is surrounded by colonial buildings—including the imposing government palace. It's empty by day, but starts to fill with gossiping jujeños, old and young, by late afternoon.  The plaza benefits from free Wi-Fi.

West of Purmamarca you can ogle one of the area’s most eye-popping sights: the Salinas Grandes, more than 200 square km (80 square miles) of dazzling salt flats at the top of a mountain. Take the sinuous Ruta 52 for 64 km (40 miles) over the majestic Cuesta de Lipan (Lipan Rise)—which tops out at 4,170 meters (13,700 feet) above sea level—and cross Ruta 40. The salty landscape is surreal, and it's made even more so by a building constructed entirely out of slabs of salt turned a brownish color and salt furniture set up like church pews, complete with lectern. A series of small pools have been cut out of the salt flats' surface, revealing a layer of water and freshly forming crystals underneath. For 1,000 pesos, you can contract a guide from the kiosk at the entrance to lead you in your vehicle through the flats.

Remember to carry a camera, a hat, some water, and sunblock.

Elevated on a natural balcony overlooking the city and with its own small patch of regenerated jungle, this mansion has a little museum of centuries-old ceramics and other artifacts found locally. Better still, botanists have been developing a mile-long nature trail that buzzes with cicadas. Knowledgeable guides can enlighten you on the flora. Call ahead to organize tours in English.

An ornate 18th-century wooden pulpit with dozens of figures of monks is the centerpiece of the Church of St. Francis, two blocks west of Plaza General Belgrano. There's some debate about who carved the pulpit: it may have been local artisans, or the pulpit may have been transported from Bolivia. Although the church and bell tower look colonial, they date from 1930. Also stop by the bijou Museo de arte sacro museum (entrance on Belgrano) to see religious art dating back to the 17th century.

Seven km (4 miles) west of town is La Garganta del Diablo (The Devil's Throat), a red-rock gorge with waterfalls (the number depends on the season). The tourist office in Tilcara can point you in the right direction; ask about the path that knocks about half the distance off the journey. Ask, too, for directions to the wind-eroded caves that are a similar distance east of town.

The Fine Arts Museum's collection of colonial-era religious works includes figures from Argentina's Jesuit missions as well as Cuzco-style paintings from Peru and Bolivia. Another part of the museum highlights 20th-century pieces by Salta artists.

Fine examples of late-colonial architecture—an interior courtyard, thick adobe walls, a reed-and-tile roof—abound in this simple building, the 19th- and 20th-century home of the Uriburu family, which gave Argentina two presidents. Furniture, costumes, paintings, and family documents are on display across six rooms.

Drop into Culturarte to get a quick hit of contemporary art and photography. After seeing the exhibits, you can order a coffee and pull up a breezy balcony seat for a different side-on view of Government House.

The heart of Salta is quintessential Latin America: a leafy central plaza named after Argentina's date of independence. Arcaded buildings line the streets surrounding it, and some have been converted into cafés, providing perfect spots to while away a warm afternoon. Popular with families who take shade under the palm and jacaranda trees, the square is dotted with craftsmen selling their wares and teens canoodling by the bandstand.

The first 50 km (30 miles) of the direct road to Salta (or the last stretch if you don't come via Cachi and Molinos) is known as the Gorge of the Shells, and breathtaking scenery makes it an attraction in its own right. Various rock formations have been eroded into wildly different shapes that have been nicknamed the Windows, the Castles, the Frog, the Friar—each name seems fanciful, that is until the road winds around the corner and you're actually confronted by the formation itself. The climax is the Amphitheater, sometimes used as a venue for proper orchestras thanks to its outstanding natural acoustics; wandering minstrels offer impromptu performances.  If you've rented a car, keep valuables out of view as thieves have become more prevalent at the Amphitheater.