Cusi Cusi

Cusi Cusi is one of the most isolated inhabited places in Argentina, a village of perhaps a few hundred people on the far northwestern puna where Jujuy meets Bolivia, at close to 3,800 metres. Just outside it the ground drops into a valley of soft sedimentary rock that wind and rain have carved into ridges, spires and folds, stained in red, ochre, cream and green, and known locally as the Valle de la Luna, the valley of the moon. The formations are best seen from a rim viewpoint, where the whole eroded basin unfolds below with the volcanic cordillera on the horizon. Reaching it means hours on unpaved roads across empty high desert, past vicuñas, salt pans and abandoned mines, and the journey is as much the experience as the destination.

What you actually see

• The rainbow badlands - eroded ridges and spires stained in mineral colours.
• The rim viewpoint - the overlook onto the whole eroded valley below.
• The village - a small adobe community farming and herding at 3,800 metres.
• The road across the puna - vicuñas, salt pans and empty high desert.

When to go

April to November, the dry season, when the tracks are firmest; summer rain makes them impassable in places. Late afternoon light brings out the colours. Any visit needs a full day of driving and, realistically, a night in Cusi Cusi or nearby.

Honest expectations

This is expedition territory: fuel, food and phone signal are scarce, roads are unpaved for hours, and breakdowns are serious. Accommodation is basic community lodging. The altitude is punishing if you have not acclimatised, and cold and wind are constant. Very few travellers make it here, which is the point.

Nearby

Abra Pampa and the Pozuelos reserve lie east; the Bolivian border is close to the north.