Private transfer Salta – Salinas Grandes

Salinas Grandes is a wide white salt flat on the high plateau, shared by Jujuy and Salta provinces. Getting there from Salta city means going up into the Quebrada de Humahuaca first and then over the Cuesta de Lipán, a paved road of hairpin bends that tops 4,000 metres before dropping to the salt.

The route in three stages

1. Salta to San Salvador de Jujuy, then Ruta Nacional 9 as far as Purmamarca.
2. From Purmamarca, Ruta Nacional 52 climbs the Cuesta de Lipán. There are lookouts where you can stop for photographs.
3. Beyond the highest point the road descends to the plateau and crosses the salt flat.

The same road carries on to the Jama Pass on the Chilean border. If you intend to cross, availability and conditions are confirmed at booking, and each passenger’s documents should be checked with the migration authority of each country.

At the salt flat

Access onto the salt surface is run by the local communities with their own guides. You hire and pay for that on the spot, while your driver waits in the car park. Bring sunglasses and a warm layer: the glare is intense and the wind is cold even in sunshine.

Summer is the rainy season and part of the flat may be under water. That changes the view and sometimes limits where you can walk.

Where to start from

A same-day return from Salta is a very long day with a big change in altitude. Most people go from Purmamarca or Tilcara after a night in the Quebrada. Another option is to return through San Antonio de los Cobres, with a long gravel stretch on Ruta 40. Ask whether it is available for your date.

Altitude

The pass on the Cuesta de Lipán is higher than the salt flat itself. Take it gently and do not hurry at the lookouts. If you have a health condition, speak to your doctor beforehand.