Salinas Grandes

The Salinas Grandes are a great salt flat spread across the high Andean plateau on the border of Jujuy and Salta, sitting at over 3,400 metres, the dried bed of an ancient lake left as a blinding white crust of salt that stretches to the horizon. Up close the surface is patterned into a mosaic of pale hexagons where the salt has cracked and reformed, and pools of brine reflect the deep blue sky like mirrors. Reaching it is half the drama: the road climbs from the coloured valley of Purmamarca over a pass above 4,000 metres before dropping onto the plateau, so the flat comes as a sudden dazzling openness. Salt is still worked here by hand in shallow pans, and local guides run short trips onto the surface for the surreal, scaleless photographs the place is known for.

What you actually see

• The salt crust - the endless white plain patterned in cracked hexagons.
• The brine pools - the mirror-like pools of the salt workings.
• The high pass - the climb over 4,000 metres from Purmamarca onto the plateau.
• The salt harvest - the shallow pans where salt is still worked by hand.

When to go

April to November is drier and the surface firmest and whitest; the summer rains leave a thin sheet of water that turns it into a mirror but can make access harder. The glare and high-altitude sun are intense at any time, so come prepared. Midday light is harsh but the reflections are strongest.

Honest expectations

The altitude is serious, over 3,400 metres on the flat and above 4,000 on the pass, so visitors coming up quickly can feel it; acclimatise first in the valley. The glare off the salt is blinding and the sun at altitude burns fast, so sunglasses and sun protection are essential. There is little shade or shelter. Going with a local guide keeps you to safe areas and supports the community that works the salt.

Nearby

Purmamarca and the Quebrada de Humahuaca are back over the pass to the east; the Puna highlands stretch west.