Palpalá brings together a range of travel interests: in Río Blanco, the Santuario Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya and its pilgrimage tradition are the cultural focus; Altos Hornos Zapla points to the city’s industrial history. Other attractions include the Mirador Norte in the Complejo Turístico Serranías de Zapla and the access road to the Villa Turística Serranías del Zapla. When planning, it is worth treating religious dates and the route to the villa as separate questions.
Río Blanco: Sanctuary and Pilgrimage Tradition
The Santuario Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya is located in Río Blanco, in the Departamento de Palpalá. Its chapel dates from 1833 and houses the image of the Virgen del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya, patron saint of the Diocese of Jujuy. In 2025, Law 6476 of the Province of Jujuy recognized the chapel and sacristy as provincial historical and cultural heritage because of their historical, religious, and symbolic value. The sanctuary is thus connected with a long religious history, while the designation also recognizes the historical and symbolic value of the two buildings.
The sanctuary draws pilgrims year after year. Religious celebrations include a procession that brings the image of the Virgin from the provincial capital to Río Blanco. In addition, every Sunday in October, Río Blanco welcomes pilgrims honoring the Virgen del Rosario de Río Blanco y Paypaya, patron saint of the Province of Jujuy. If you want to plan your trip around the celebrations, check the specific dates for that year in advance. The recurring October schedule does not establish a fixed date for any particular year.
One dated example is the 2024 pilgrimage program, which included a procession of young people and groups associated with the Divina Misericordia. This example records a specific program item from that year; when planning a trip, the date of the relevant celebration remains decisive.
Industrial History in Palpalá
The Altos Hornos Zapla steelworks was a longstanding landmark in Palpalá’s urban landscape. Centro Forestal is also part of this industrial history: the former company Altos Hornos Zapla founded the settlement to process eucalyptus and convert it into charcoal for the plant’s blast furnaces. This gives a concrete picture of the relationship between the plant and the processing of wood for its blast furnaces. Those interested in industrial history can consider the urban landmark and this former processing purpose as two distinct aspects of the same local history.
Serranías de Zapla: Viewpoint and Access
The Mirador Norte in the Complejo Turístico Serranías de Zapla is located in the Departamento de Palpalá. From there, you can see San Salvador de Jujuy, Alto Comedero, and Palpalá. The natural surroundings of the complex are also associated with pumas, jaguars, and other Yungas wildlife; a jaguar sighting has also been recorded in the area around the complex.
The access road to the Villa Turística Serranías del Zapla follows RP 56 via Alto La Viña. From the entrance at kilometer 22, an eight-kilometer gravel road climbs uphill to the villa. As road conditions can change, check them before setting out. At the villa, trekking, horseback riding, rappelling, zip-lining, and mining tourism are available by prior arrangement. Guided activities require staff to be available, so check in advance what can be offered for your travel dates. The route and the activities answer different planning questions: for access, consider the gravel section and its conditions; for activities, arrange them in advance.
Jujuy as a Broader Travel Destination
The broader travel destination of Jujuy offers other, distinct attractions. The Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the Camino Inca and forms a 155-kilometer north–south corridor with hundreds of archaeological and architectural sites. Parque Nacional Calilegua protects more than 76,000 hectares of the Yungas ecoregion in Jujuy. The Salinas Grandes in Jujuy offer a different kind of landscape: they are among the three largest salt flats in the world, cover 525 square kilometers, and lie at an average elevation of 3,350 meters.
Discover more destinations: Palpalá (locality), Palpalá, Departamento Doctor Manuel Belgrano, Departamento Valle Grande, San Antonio, Departamento Ledesma, Departamento Humahuaca, Yavi.
Back to the broader travel overview: Jujuy.
