Hombre Muerto Salt Flat

Information

It is a salt flat located in the northernmost part of Catamarca Province, on the border with Salta Province. It has an area of approximately 588 square kilometers, making it so extensive that it can easily be identified as a white patch on a physical or satellite map. It is located right in the Catamarca Puna at around 4000 meters above sea level, in a completely uninhabited area where the only things you may see are an occasional tourist or vehicles belonging to mining companies. It is an area rich in lithium, potassium and borax, and in some parts lakes form within the salt flat.

It is located 87 km from the town of Antofagasta de la Sierra. To get there from this town or from Salta, you have to travel along Provincial Route 43 (it is Provincial Route 17 on the Salta side), which becomes very sandy in some sections and can be impassable. For this reason, it is not suitable for regular vehicles and it is recommended to visit it by booking an excursion with a licensed guide. There are no inhabited places along the entire route, and of course there are no services either.

The entire journey to the salt flat is a real sightseeing experience, as you can enjoy spectacular and colorful highland landscapes. When you arrive, the road at one point passes right through the middle of the salt flat, with views of the salt surface on both sides and even across the road itself. It is common to see wildlife along the way, such as vicunas and lesser rheas (a smaller type of rhea).