Our Tours.
Puna Desert Adventure
This 12 day motorbike tour is as adventurous as it can get! It will challenge not only your riding skills but also your acceptance for loneliness, remoteness and altitude.
You'll get everything: Riding over salt flats, barely visible tracks, nearly 5000m high passes, steep gravel passes, sand dunes, twisty tarmac mountain roads, beautiful and spectacular landscapes and remote desert villages.
This trip can be done in a 4 x 4 off road vehicle, too!
Day 1
You will be picked up at the airport in Salta and brought in the Hotel from where the tour starts next day. After an introduction to the bikes and the tour and some general information about Salta, you have the rest of the day at your free disposal.
Day 2
We leave Salta southwards through the fertile Lerma Valley, which narrows into the canyon of the Quebrada de Cafayate. This beautiful canyon is striking for its red sandstone formations, weathered by wind and water to bizarre shapes.
Through the sandy planes of the Calchaqui Valley we ride through Cafayte to the Quilmes Ruins.
Overnight stay in Santa Maria.
Day 3
We carry on to the Rodochrosite Mines Santa Rita and have lunch in the remote Hosteria before snaking down a twisty pass with spectacular views to the Village of Andalgala.
Overnight stay in Belen.
Day 4
Bordering the Belen River we ride north deeper into the desert of Catamarca, through the Rondolfo Canyon to the nature reserve of Laguna Blanca. Riding through the open spaces of the Pumice Planes and the Carachi Pampa we finally reach the town of Antofagasta.
Day 5
Heading deep into the lonely mountains of the Puna desert we ride through the Calalaste Valley to Las Quinuas and carry on along the saltpan to Antofalla. Accommodation and dinner in a simple local place.
Day 6
The track leads us through the Archibara Mountains passing the Laguna de los Patos to the Mine La Casualidad and the old train station of Caipe.
Crossing the Arizaro saltpan we get to the friendly town of Tolar Grande.
Day 7
Riding through bizarre desert landscapes, we follow the railway lines of the legendary "Train to the Clouds" before taking a ride through the Pastos Grandes mountain range. After crossing underneath the Viaduct La Polvorilla we border the Volcano Quehuar to get to a hidden volcanic valley.
Overnight stay close to the village of Susques.
Day 8
Following the Susques River we reach the more fertile areas of the Puna desert and will pass several small villages where self sufficient agriculture and lama herding is still the only way of surviving since hundreds of years on our way to the town of Abra Pampa.
Tour details
Duration:
12 days / 11 nights
Distance:
about. 2500km, 70% gravel roads
Route:
Participants:
4 - 8 riders
Dates:
please see our tour calender
Level of experience:
The trip is suitable only for experienced motor-biker with good off-road experience.
Prices
| on BMW F800 GS: | 4400 US$ |
| on BMW R1200 Adv.: | 5200 US$ |
| pillion/passenger: | 2600 US$ |
Climate & Season
The climate of the Calchaquí valleys is very pleasant: they receive little rain, because the rain clouds coming from the east are blocked by the first mountain ranges. Temperatures are moderate even in winter, although at night it can get quite cold. The Puna (high plains), on the other hand, are characterised by a harsh climate: temperatures regularly drop below zero at night (even in the summer), but in the daytime temperatures rise to 20-30°C. Dry winds are common, and even in the rainy season rainfalls are rare. The altitude (around 4000m) intensifies the effects of the ever-present sun (don't forget your sunscreen and sunglasses!).
Day 9
After a short ride on tarmac the gravel road then turns of the main road and winds over the 4000m high pass Abra del Condor to the remote mountain town of Iruya, lying in a narrow part of a deep valley, surrounded by colourful mountains and bizarrely eroded rock walls.
Day 10
Crossing the Abra del Condor again, we reach the picturesque Quebrada de Humahuaca canyon, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
We visit the church of Uquia, the Tropic of Capricorn Monument, the Pucara de Tilcara Ruins and the 7 Color Mountain. Overnight stay in the lovely village of Purmamarca.
Day 11
Climbing up the black toped Lipan Pass through 99 corners we get to the Salinas Grandes, and reach the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres after having lunch in a traditional family house.
We leave the plains of the Puna and descend into the colourful valley Quebrada del Toro to reach Salta.
Day 12
We will bring you to the airport to catch your flight. You will take awesome impressions, great memories and a Horizonte present with you on your way back home.
Adventure Northwest Argentina