Back to Salta Argentina! It’s been a minute. Despite always having said Argentina is my favourite South American country (and currently second on my list of places I’d choose if “I could only travel to one country for the rest of my life”) and the perfect place for a big road trip.
The first time we came through it was overland from Bolivia, followed by extensive meanderings to Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, Atlantic Coast and Patagonia. The second time around we headed straight for Ushuaia to embark on our incredible Antarctica adventure, followed by more Patagonia, Bariloche and, of course, another stop in Buenos Aires – incidentally, a place that also lands high up on my list of Favourite Cities in the World.
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On that first trip we ended up spending our third and fourth Argentine nights in Salta, a large, not-so-touristy city in northern Argentina. At the time we were travelling with Tricky and Mel, a Welsh-Canadian couple who were more than happy to join us at McDonald’s, on photo shoots and for drinks on the square to engage in celebrity-spotting debates.
Now, obviously two nights is not enough time to accurately list everything a visitor needs to know about a place. Two WEEKS on this second visit, however, seemed like the perfect amount of time to come up with all sorts of half-assed advice and barely informed recommendations. Enjoy!
Things You Should Know About Salta
The name is short, easy and adorably on the nose. There is a lot of salt in these parts, wouldn’t you know it?
There are a LOT of churches. I mean, so many. Which doesn’t exactly make it unique among Spanish colonial cities in Latin America. It’s still true, though.
Salta is the first major Argentinian city you’ll encounter coming from either of two major tourist destinations, the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia or the Atacama Desert in Chile. We tried it from both directions and both times were quite satisfied with the results.
There is a very famous high-altitude train nearby. But not SO nearby that you can get there easily, or for less than $US100 on a tour (or more on a longer, more extensive tour of the area). We saved it for our road trip (more on that in a future post).
You can drink the tap water in Salta AND put toilet paper in the toilet. Which may not sound all that special but, in Latin America, it kinda is.
Inflation in Argentina has been rampant for years now, making life hard on the locals and confusing for tourists. The most cost-effective method of getting Argentine pesos is either to change cash (preferably $US or Euros) or send yourself money through Western Union. The first option often means dealing with a sketchy street character and following them to a second, less public location and carefully (very carefully) counting the money they give you. The second – our choice in Salta – did not involve any sketchy characters or second locations, but may mean standing in line for an hour at the Carrefour, then waiting another 15 minutes while the teller tries fixing her scanner by unplugging it and plugging it back in a dozen times before finally giving up and simply using a different one, then finally being given your $C900 in a dozen massive stacks of 500 and 1000-peso bills (approx. $0.50 and 1US each) and stuffing it into a backpack to be carried on your chest while quickly scurrying off to your apartment. At least that is how it worked for us. Foreign credit card rates are also slightly better than the official rate, which is far more convenient than using cash, although those rates moved closer and closer during our stay. And ATM withdrawals are strictly at the official rate, minus some hefty fees, so I’d pass on that.
Uber is sort of illegal in Salta. Meaning, you can still order an Uber, and take an Uber, you just need to sit in the front.
Salta is so famous for its specific local version of empanadas that they are actually known as “salteñas” and highly sought after from Buenos Aires to Bolivia. “Locro” is another local specialty – an excellent squash-based stew full of several kinds of meat because, hey, it’s Argentina, everything comes with meat. Including the salads. I’d recommend Doña Salta for both.
Not surprisingly, the steaks are also great, even if their opinion of “medium” is dubious, at best. Dubious, and very red.
If you’re looking for an impromptu dance party, there is almost always something happening at the small stage between the main plaza and McDonald’s. Probably promoted by a cell phone company or local insurance firm but still, there WILL be dancing. And, if you’re lucky, Minnie Mouse might be there repeatedly sticking her hand in Mickey Mouse’s mouth, seemingly against his will. Yeah, you get it.
Argentina uses a bizarre, angled electrical outlet configuration that doesn’t match up with much of anything from anywhere. Most hotels and apartments may also have a single outlet that accepts European round plugs but it will almost certainly be hidden somewhere inconvenient and be scarred by some ominous burn marks.
I arrived in Salta with a sore throat, stuffed nose, annoying cough and kinked neck. That is probably not their fault, though.
Columbus Day is now called Cultural Diversity Day. Either way, there is a parade.
The McDonald’s in the mall no longer has the handy ground level golden arches we used for photos in 2009. Sorry.
Transportation, salami, cheese, fruit, veggies and bread are cheap but restaurants are breathtakingly expensive.
Hotels in Salta, however, were still a good deal, as we rented a full apartment with a bit of a view for $C37/night.
The streets of Salta are busy but relatively calm and orderly, with just the right amount of jaywalking, in our opinion.
Mercado Municipal San Miguel is a chaotic central market with a bit of everything for sale and lots of food stalls with small tables and plastic chairs, including unappetizing milanesa and some ok empanadas and a 1L glass bottle of Sprite at a place very popular with locals.
If, by chance, you hadn’t fully packed with this kind of heat in mind, you can buy a matching shorts/tank top set from a woman on the corner for $5. Just sayin’.
The nicest buildings are close to the main square (Plaza 9 de Julio) and the nicest restaurants and streets are northeast of the square close to Cerro San Bernardo, especially Pueyrredon street.
If you’re looking for some exercise, the hike up to the top of Cerro San Bernardo will get your heart pumping. Basic stone steps, mostly in shade, no views until top, where you’ll find a good city view, some useful bathrooms and some rather unnecessary trinket shops. Most people go for the Salta sign, though, I assume. If you’re NOT looking for exercise, there is also a cable car.
Martin Miguel de Guemes was a key player in Argentina’s fight for independence. Hence, almost everything in Salta is named after him. Respectful, but confusing.
The people of Salta are generally very quiet in public. To a fault, possibly, considering I spent 10 minutes in line at the grocery store slowly shuffling along with a leaking bag of milk dripping out of my basket onto the floor the entire time, leaving a long trail of milk behind, yet none of the dozen people behind us said a thing. I only noticed when I shifted and it started pouring directly onto my foot which, at first, I took for a sudden circulation problem. Whew, dodged that bullet.
There are lots of places to enjoy a beer with a view of the main square. Sightings of elderly shirtless joggers doing circles around the park are likely but, unfortunately, not guaranteed.
Servers in Salta have mastered that skill unique to servers throughout Latin America (and Greece) of walking repeatedly walking back and forth through an entire restaurant without every making eye contact with anyone.
There are a couple roast chicken places on Belgrano where you can get a whole roast chicken for $US5. Which isn’t meant to be funny, just handy.
The most popular beer in Salta is called “Salta”.
In my opinion, the world is divided into two types of cities. Those full of stray dogs, and those full of pet stores. Thankfully, Salta is the latter.
The Jing Du noodle bowl was one of our favourite meals in Salta. The only requirement, apparently, based on previous reviews, is that before raving about the Asian food you have to justify your choice by explaining that you have already eaten SO MUCH Argentinian food and just needed a change, just this once. Pro tip: nobody gives a shit.
There are two main museums in Salta. One is free with a view of the park. The other costs $US14 and features mummified children. Apples and oranges, I’d say.
It was mostly hot while we were in Salta although storms threatened a couple times, generally with plenty of pomp, circumstance, thunder and lightning but, in the end, very little rain. A fact which aggravated Laynni greatly (when safely indoors, of course).
One day I got a terrible haircut from a bald barber. That one’s probably on me…
Northern Argentina favours flat, square pillows, thin curtains and squeaky bathroom doors, so hopefully you’re into some of those things.
Salta Highlights Map
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Summary
Salta is a big but manageable city that is quite affordable, a little light on typical tourist sights but heavy on restaurants and chock-full of empanadas. If that sounds like your kind of place, I know where you can pick up some really weird electrical adapters.
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Our Northern Argentina Road Trip
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Our Favourite Cities in the World
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San Pedro de Atacama: Three Tours and a Slippery Bike Ride
Uyuni Salt Flats: Would You Care for Fries with that Salt