Salta “the beautiful” lives up to its namesake, a charming colonial city at the foot of the Andes and the perfect base for exploring the breathtaking canyons of Argentina’s highlands.

In the north-west corner of the country where the land rises to meet the Andes on the borders with Chile and Bolivia, Argentinaā€™s highlands offer some of the most captivating landscapes in all of South America. Red-rock gorges and multi-coloured canyons lead up to desolate altiplano punctuated by dazzling salt-flats and white-washed colonial towns. Capital of the region, Salta sits at the foot of the mountains at 1100m above sea-level and is an ideal base for exploring the landscapes. Founded in 1582, the city dubbed ā€œSalta la Lindaā€ (“Salta the beautiful”) retains much of its colonial architecture and offers a wealth of historic attractions amidst excellent boutique hotels and restaurants. At its heart, the elegant Ninth of July Square is ringed by a graceful gallery punctuated by the cityā€™s neoclassical Cathedral, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the original Cabildo town hall.

Yet the real beauty of Salta lies outside the city walls, best experienced on the famous ā€œTrain to the Cloudsā€, one of South Americaā€™s most spectacular rail journeys. Between April and November, visitors can enjoy a dizzying trip high into the red-rock canyons and gorges of Argentinaā€™s north-west altiplano to reach the giddy height of 4220m above sea-level.

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