Stopovers
Cities on the route
Where to sleep, refuel and slow down between the long stretches.
La Quiaca
A windswept border town on the Puna facing Villazón, Bolivia. The northern end of Ruta 40 is here, and the photo with the milestone is a rite of passage before heading south across the high plateau.
San Antonio de los Cobres
A small adobe town at the junction of Ruta 40 and Ruta 51, up from Salta through the Quebrada del Toro. It is the base for the La Polvorilla viaduct and the Tren a las Nubes.
Cachi
Whitewashed adobe houses, a colonial church and a quiet plaza at the foot of the snow-capped Nevado de Cachi. Most travellers arrive from Salta over the Cuesta del Obispo and through Los Cardones National Park.
Molinos
A sleepy colonial village of adobe streets and a white church, and the turn-off for the high-altitude vineyards around Colomé.
Cafayate
The wine capital of the Calchaquí Valleys, known for aromatic Torrontés grown at altitude. Wineries sit within walking or cycling distance of the plaza, and the red Quebrada de las Conchas leads back towards Salta.
Belén
A Catamarca town famous for hand-woven ponchos and textiles of vicuña and llama wool, overlooked by a large statue of the Virgin on the hill above town.
Chilecito
A green oasis under the Sierra de Famatina, with an early-1900s mining cable car climbing towards La Mejicana mine, plus olive groves and Riojan Torrontés wineries.