Purmamarca is known to most as being famous for the Mountain of Seven Colors. So far, we had certainly been enamored of the stunning colors and textures of the surrounding mountains everywhere we went, and the seven colors did not disappoint. On our way to the Salinas Grandes, we first stopped in Purmamarca for shopping at the artisanal market, where they had a lot of typical pottery and textiles from the region with dozens of vendors selling virtually the same products. However, we eventually found several very lovely higher-end textile stores. We bought a few items, stopped at the pharmacy for eye drops (really dry air in Jujuy) and had a coffee before heading out for the hour-long drive through the Lipan Gap to the enormous salt lake in the high plains called Salinas Grandes.
A truly unbelievable drive. We climbed from 24 degrees Celsius in Purmamarca past the famous Seven Colors Mountains and on up 50+ hairpin turns to the high plains (La Puna) and 11 degrees Celsius at the top. We reached 4170m (shy of 14,000ft!) and definitely felt the altitude! Then we headed down to the salt lake in wind and 13 degrees. An indescribable view that evoked the image of white, snow-covered ice on an enormous, frozen lake with bright sun and whipping winds. Salinas Grandes is at around 3400m and stretches for 320 kilometers east to west. We passed a salt mine and stopped at the tourist site in the middle of the “lake” to visit with the shop proprietors and buy a few trinkets. Most of those working the stalls are from the small indigenous community near the Flat called Tres Pozos, a community of three settlements, home to a total of a couple hundred people.
That night after a welcome nap, we went for dinner at one of the best-reviewed restaurants in Tilcara, Nuevo Progreso, owned and operated by the chef Maria Florencia Rodriguez, also chef at the winery we had visited for lunch a few days before. An excellent meal, stunning presentation, service, and atmosphere.
Link to Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/As6Nht5pX9fpeuRs9