Argentina photo tour

Day 1

Throughout the day, you will arrive in Salta (Argentina). Please coordinate the flight with Rolf Gemperle. If the group arrives together, you will be picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel.
Accommodation: Finca Valentina in Salta (single room available).

Day 2

Today we head to the Humahuaca Gorge in the province of Jujuy in the far north of Argentina. The gorge is famous for its colorful mountains, geological formations, and historic villages. At sunset, we drive to the fascinating Salinas Grandes (salt flats), one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Puna. The bright white surface of the salt flats contrasts with the blue sky, offering wonderful photographic opportunities. The salt flats span 30,000 hectares and are surrounded by some of the most impressive peaks of the Andean volcanoes and mountains, such as Tuzgle and Chañi.
Accommodation: La Comarca in Purmamarca (single room available).

Day 3

For the sunrise, we don’t have to travel far. Right behind the village of Purmamarca, there are hills in various colors, offering great photographic subjects. After breakfast, we drive to Uquia. Just a few kilometers behind the village is a hidden treasure that can only be discovered on foot: the breathtaking landscape known as the «Las Señoritas Gorge.» After the hike, we enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Later, we embark on another adventure. The destination is the «Serranías del Hornocal,» a hidden gem and impressive mountain range located in a remote valley near the town of Humahuaca. Not far from the parking lot is a viewpoint where we can photograph the impressive rainbow-colored mountains. Later, we return to Purmamarca.
Accommodation: La Comarca in Purmamarca (single room available).

Day 4

Today we start early. For the sunrise, we drive again to Salinas Grandes (3500 m). These salt flats are in the province of Jujuy and are listed as one of Argentina’s natural wonders. We will be here during the dry season – looking for amazing textures and also taking photos of the salt cones and basins. From our sunrise location, we drive via San Antonio de los Cobres towards Desierto del Laberinto for the sunset. On the way, we pass one of the most interesting attractions: the railway line that Richard Maury built at the beginning of the 20th century. It is located at an altitude of 3508 meters above sea level. The barren mountains with all sorts of textures and reddish tones outside of Tolar Grande are known as Desierto del Laberinto or Labyrinth Desert. The Labyrinth Desert looks like a Mars landscape! A completely surreal scene!
Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina (single room not available).

Day 5

We continue our «Martian» explorations. On the agenda today is the surreal volcanic pyramid of Cono de Arita. Surprisingly, it sits like a giant cone pyramid in the middle of the salt flats! If the conditions allow, we will visit the Caipe station to photograph it at night!
Accommodation: Hotel Casa Andina (single room not available).

Day 6

We begin our day at sunrise at Salar de Arizaro. It is a 1,500 square kilometer salt desert at 3500 meters elevation. Salar de Arizaro is the 6th largest salt flat on our planet. The region is rich in salt that was formed around 5 to 10 million years ago. We continue the tour through northern Argentina and drive to Antofalla. Antofalla is a 6409-meter-high stratovolcano located west of the Salar de Antofalla. We will be guests in a local house and explore landscapes that look like a painter’s palette – mountains and ponds in various shades of red and green.
Accommodation: Family House in Antofalla (single room not available).

Day 7

Today is a long stage to El Penon. After an early start, we drive to Vega Colorada, a hot freshwater spring that brings together the local fauna, and then make a detour to the Salar del Hombre Muerto. Later, we head towards Antofagasta de la Sierra and enter the Real Grande region (4050 m), where the entrance to the Cerro Galán Caldera is located from the northwest.

The Cerro Galán is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world and the largest in the Andes. It spans 34 km from north to south and 24 km from east to west and is the result of an extreme plinian eruption that occurred 2.2 million years ago. It was identified as a volcanic crater based on satellite images, as its elliptical shape is too large to be recognized from the ground. The crater walls rise to a height of 5,000 meters, with the central peak reaching 5,912 meters, while the base sits at 4,500 meters. In the southwestern corner of the crater, there is a lake, Laguna Diamante, where flamingos and ducks live, sheltered from the wind by the crater walls, in this extremely harsh environment.

Our path leads us to another high-altitude Andean lake, the Laguna Grande Reserve, a salt lake at 4150 meters. In winter, the water freezes completely, but when spring arrives, it becomes the largest gathering spot for Puna flamingos. With the perfect warm light at sunset, we will drive to El Peñón and stop at a few more photographic spots along the way.
Accommodation: El Peñón Hostería de Altura (single room not available).

Day 8 & 9

We will spend the next two days in the surroundings of El Peñón. A special focus will be on a breathtaking natural phenomenon – Campo de Piedra Pómez – pumice stone fields. This vast rock labyrinth was created by a powerful volcanic explosion. The ash crystallized immediately after the eruption and was transformed into porous pumice stone as it cooled. Over time, erosion, including strong Atacama winds, has shaped these incredible forms like sculptures. Another highlight on the way to Campo de Piedra Pómez is the white sand dune. We will visit and photograph the dune. Several volcanoes between El Peñón and Antofagasta de la Sierra offer perfect sunset locations.
Accommodation: El Peñón Hostería de Altura (single room not available).

Day 10

After a final sunrise shoot at the rocks of Campo de Piedra Pómez, we leave the area around El Peñón and thus the Puna de Atacama. Our destination for the day is the city of El Cafayate, located at an altitude of 1,600 meters. El Cafayate is located in the heart of the Valles Calchaquíes, one of Argentina’s most famous wine regions.
Just outside the city, another photographic highlight awaits us. The Quebrada de las Conchas is a several-kilometer-long rock wall along the Río de las Conchas. At sunrise and sunset, the wall glows in a beautiful red. With the blue of the river and the green of the lush vegetation, it forms a fantastic contrast. The intense red color of the rock wall is due to the iron oxide present in the mineral basins.
Accommodation: Patios de Cafayate Wine Hotel (single room available).

Day 11

We will spend the sunrise again at Quebrada de las Conchas. Afterward, we head back to Salta, the provincial capital of the same name. Salta is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and Andean traditions. In the afternoon, we plan to visit the city center.
Accommodation: Finca Valentina in Salta (single room available).

Day 12

Today, you will begin your journey home. An extension in Salta or Buenos Aires is possible.

Looking forward to an incredible journey!
You can see more pictures of this unique area in my Portfolio.