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.
Don’t miss
- La Polvorilla viaduct
- Tren a las Nubes departures
- Llama and vicuña sightings on the way in
Take it slowly on arrival: the altitude is felt by most visitors.
On these itineraries
Tours from San Antonio de los Cobres
Guide
Reading for San Antonio de los Cobres
Ruta 40 road conditions and fuel
Where the pavement ends, how long the gravel sections really take, where the petrol stations are, and what to carry on the Northwest stretch.
The northern end of Ruta 40
Where Argentina's longest road begins, on the Bolivian border at 3,442 m — La Quiaca, the Puna crossing to Susques and the descent to the Quebrada de Humahuaca.
Crossing the Puna
Salt flats, volcanoes, pumice fields and salt-mining villages above 3,500 metres — what to expect from Argentina's high desert and how to travel it safely.