The Quebrada de Humahuaca runs through Humahuaca Department. This narrow, dry mountain valley, about 155 kilometers long, is crossed by the Río Grande. In 2003, UNESCO declared the Quebrada a World Heritage cultural landscape. Numerous archaeological sites and architectural cultural assets have been preserved in its valleys; Indigenous traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Its classification as a cultural landscape draws attention to both the mountain valley and the cultural traces preserved within it.

Archaeology: Agriculture and Rock Paintings

In Humahuaca Department, Coctaca is the largest and most complex pre-Hispanic Inca agricultural complex in Jujuy Province, and probably one of the most significant in the Argentine Republic. Inca Cueva in Tres Cruces is known for the high value of its rock paintings. Two archaeological themes therefore take center stage: an Inca agricultural complex and rock art. Their distinct focuses offer two perspectives on the department's archaeological heritage.

The Monument to the Heroes of Independence

The Monument to the Heroes of Independence stands on Cerro Santa Bárbara and can be reached via a monumental stone staircase. It commemorates the struggle for independence and honors the people's anonymous participation in it. The monument is dominated by a nine-meter-tall bronze sculpture of an Indigenous person, accompanied by reliefs of Indigenous people and gauchos. The monumental figure and the reliefs give the commemoration a tangible artistic form.

Church Art and Feast Day in Uquía

The first documented construction phases of the Capilla de la Santa Cruz y San Francisco de Paula in Uquía date back to the 17th century. Adobe walls and a gilded retablo define the church. The gilded main retablo is divided into three vertical image panels, called “streets,” and three horizontal levels, called “bodies,” and is considered unique in the region. The church's artistic heritage also includes nine 17th-century arquebusier angels from the Cuzco school. Every year on May 3, a celebration in honor of the Santo Patrono is held at the church. The fixed annual date adds a religious tradition to the building and its art.

In the wider destination of Jujuy

The cuisine of the wider destination of Jujuy is shaped by corn, potatoes, squash and quinoa, as well as llama, beef and pork. In the Quebrada de Humahuaca, you can try humitas, tamales, empanadas and cazuelas. High-altitude wines are also part of Jujuy's culinary profile: they are produced in the temperate valleys and in the Quebrada.

Jujuy also encompasses other landscapes. Parque Nacional Calilegua preserves more than 76,000 hectares of the Yungas ecoregion. Salinas Grandes is one of the world's three largest salt flats, covers 525 km² and lies at an average elevation of 3,350 meters.

Discover more destinations: Iruya, Rosario De Lerma Department, Los Andes Department, Libertador General San Martín Department, Cerrillos Department, Molinos Department, Tafí Del Valle Department, Rosario De La Frontera Department.

See the overview of the wider destination: Salta.