Iruya

Information

It is a town in the province of Salta in Argentina. It is 72 km away from Humahuaca (province of Jujuy), 196 km from San Salvador de Jujuy and 290 km from the capital city of Salta. It is located on the side of a mountain at 2780 metres above sea level, and has at its feet the river that bears its name, over which there is a bridge.

It is one of the great tourist attractions of the Argentinean northwest. The view of the village with its church in the foreground and a hill in the background is impressive. It is far away from the big urban centres, with its inhabitants maintaining their traditional customs, their abobe buildings and their cobbled streets.

Visitors have accommodation and several dining options. Due to the fact that the best way to get there starts near Humahuaca (from Jujuy) and it is complicated to get there from the territory of Salta, it is for this reason that even though Iruya belongs to Salta, tourists usually visit it when they come touring the province of Jujuy.

How to get to Iruya:
- There are daily buses from Humahuaca, Purmamarca, San Salvador de Jujuy and Tilcara. At certain times of the year there are also buses from La Quiaca (please confirm).
- If you go by car, from National Route 9 you take Provincial Road 13. Once you pass the interprovincial border, it becomes Provincial Road 133 on the Salta side. You have to drive a total of 47 kilometres of gravel road to the town, along a route that is a real sightseeing trip due to the spectacular landscapes you can see.

As for when to go, you have to take into account that summer (December to March) is the season of heaviest rainfalls, so the bad state of the road and the overflowing of rivers may prevent you from getting there.