Antofagasta de la Sierra

Information

It is the main town in the Catamarca Puna, in the Andean area of western Argentina. It is located above 3300 metres above sea level.

It has services for visitors such as a tourist information office, grocery shops, petrol station, ATM, restaurants and several lodgings (one of them is the municipal inn). Inside the village there is a main square with a church in front of it. You can visit the Museo del Hombe (Museum of Man), which exhibits original artefacts from nearby archaeological sites, and has posters about the first inhabitants, the period of the arrival of the Incas and also the colonial period with the arrival of the Spaniards.

It is undoubtedly the best place to stay and visit the region. It is surrounded by tourist attractions such as inactive volcanoes, lagunas (like lakes), salt flats and even archaeological sites. It is worth mentioning that there are places where it is necessary to hire an excursion with a authorised guide, as there may be a risk of getting lost or the road (or path) may not be suitable for any type of vehicle. The most common sites (there are many more) are:
- Just outside the village are the Antofagasta and Alumbrera volcanoes, which can be seen from the paved Route 43 that leads to the village. You can see their cones, scoria and the lagunas at their feet.
- Laguna Colorada: it is close by, and can be reached by a dirt road for about 6 kilometres. Depending on the month, it can be seen with water or as a salt surface.
- Antofalla village and Antofalla salt flat: there you can visit the small village that is on one side of the salt flat, which is considered the longest in the world.
- Hombre Muerto Salt Flat: an enormous salt desert that can be reached by a long road through the puna.
- Real Grande: a canyon with high cliffs, geoforms and sites with cave paintings.

To get to Antofagasta de la Sierra:
- By car: the best way to get to Antofagasta is from Belén. There are 259 kilometres in total (51 kilometres on National Route 40 and 208 on Route 43), most of which are paved and a smaller part is gravel. On both the outward and return trips, it is advisable to leave with a full tank of petrol, as there are no petrol stations between Puerta del Corral Quemado and Antofagasta. It is recommended that you check the state of the road before you go, as at certain times of the year some sections of the route may be impassable due to ice or mud accumulation. It is a route with spectacular landscapes, which in the last stretch goes through the Puna where you can see from the road itself several volcanoes and wildlife such as vicunas and lesser rheas.
- By bus: Buses arrive from San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca and Belén, but only one or a few days a week.