Tolar Grande & the Arita Cone
Tolar Grande is a small town belonging to the Los Andes Department, northern Argentina. It is located in the middle of the Salta highlands at km 131 of Provincial Route 27, on the General Belgrano Railroad tracks of the train of the clouds; 380 km from the City of Salta and 214 km from San Antonio de los Cobres.
In Tolar Grande you will find a unique landscape, a Puno desert with volcanoes, salt flats and mountains. Kilometers away from it is the mythical llullaillaco volcano, where the bodies of the “Niños de Llullaillaco” were found.
Eye of the Sea Near the town of Tolar Grande are the famous “eyes of the sea” (small but deep and very salty lagoons) where there are some of the few living stromatolites in the world today, they are the only known on planet Earth that They live at altitudes close to 4,000 meters, with an environment very similar perhaps to the one that originated the first living beings about 3,500 million years ago.
Annually in Tolar Grande, on the third Saturday of November, residents of the town make the ascent to Cerro Macón (approx. 5500 meters above sea level) where offerings are made in gratitude to the pachamama. At its top there is an Inca apacheta, which is why it is considered a “sacred mountain”
Weather in Tolar Grande
The climate of Tolar Grande is cold, with an arid desert geography, with a minimum temperature in winter of up to 15º below zero, and in warmer summer with an average of 15ºm maximums of 25º and minimum temperatures below 0º. The landscape is of a particular beauty, desolation and aridity, vicuñas, llamas, volcanoes, salt flats and mountains that blend into the sky.
Where is Tolar Grande located?
Tolar Grande is a town located in the heart of the Salta Puna, founded around the Belgrano Railway Station, when mining was in full swing. To get to this town from the city of Salta, you have to travel 357 km through the Quebrada del Toro, passing through the town of San Antonio de los Cobres and through small hamlets camouflaged by the arid Puno landscape.
How to arrive to Tolar Grande?
Through provincial route 27, passing through the Salar de Pocitos, you reach Tolar Grande, this town located at 3,500 m.a.s.l. It has four tourist circuits to explore on foot: Agua del Carancho and Ojo de Mar of 4 Kms where you can observe native flora and fauna of the Puna, fresh water springs and you can walk on the Tolar Grande salt flat and thus you get to Ojo de Mar.
Another circuit is the Cueva del Oso y Arenales, on which you cannot see any vegetation or animals. only arid land and the dryness of the Puna, which gives a feeling of being on another planet.
The third circuit is El Mirador, on its route you can see salt hills and gypsum bank, reaching the viewpoint you can see in its entirety the Salar de Arizaro, one of the largest in the world and all the volcanoes that surround it, such as Llullaillaco, Socompa, Arizaro, Aracar, Guanaquero, Macón and others.
Finally, the Salt Mines and the Dead Man Tunnel: the tunnel is 180 meters long. in length, it is composed of 4 bubbles or vaults and a bridge that is in the center, inside there are stalactites and columns of salt of different sizes and formations, you can also feel sensations of vertigo and adrenaline and emotions of being in another world. Continuing along RN 51 you reach Chile, crossing the Paso de Sico.
What to see in Tolar Grande?
From Tolar Grande you can enjoy different intersting places. Take a look to some of them
Arizaro Salt Flat
The Salar de Arizaro is a salt flat in the center of the Puna de Atacama that is located in the province of Salta, Argentina. The salar is located between the towns of Caipe and Tolar Grande. It has an area of 1,600 km², 1 and is located at 3,460 meters above sea level. It is characteristic the “Cone of Arita” that is in the salt flat, to which different excursions arrive from the city of Salta. Mining of metals and non-metallic elements are carried out in the area. It is especially abundant in salt, marble, iron, copper, and onyx.
The Ojo de Mar
The “Ojo de Mar” is one of the main attraction, a small lagoon that stands in the middle of the Salar de Tolar Grande as a result of the water courses that emerge in that place. The water comes from the Serranía del Macón and therefore It is both freshwater, but when mixed with the salt crust of the Salar de Tolar it becomes saline.
The Arenal
Just 8 km from the town of Tolar, this circuit takes us into one of the most arid areas in the vicinity of the town of Tolar Grande, it passes through the interior of immense reddish sand banks that accumulated in the sector called “El Arenal ”. At this point, ascending one of these enormous dunes, you get a magnificent view of the Andes mountain range.
The Arita Cone
This geoform is an almost perfect cone that emerges, in sight, like an island in the imposing Salar de Arízaro, one of the largest in the world, which has an area of 1,600 square kilometers and is located 3,460 meters above sea level
Located between the towns of Caipe and Tolar Grande, the Salar de Arizaro is one of the most spectacular natural formations in the province of Salta (Argentina). With more than 3,000 meters of altitude and an area of 1,600 km2, the salt flat receives thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. Popularly known as the ‘Cono de Arita’ or the ‘Cerro Cono’, the salar is a superficial lake, whose sediments formed by salts are precipitated by strong evaporation.
This natural pyramid is approximately 80 kilometers from Tolar Grande, in the Los Andes department. To get there, you will have to travel Route 51, which connects Salta with San Antonio de los Cobres, and then Route 27, in the direction of Tolar Grande
With its imposing and majestic shape, the salt flat is reminiscent of an island in the middle of the sea. Although there are still many unknowns regarding its origin, some legends indicate that the natural formation could be used as an Inca ceremonial center.
In addition to the many excursions that arrive every day from the city of Salta, the area also stands out for its industrial possibilities, thanks to the mining of salt, marble, iron, copper and onyx. Just 80 kilometers by car from Tolar Grande, the best months to visit the salt flats are from November to April and it is recommended to wear comfortable clothes and binoculars to appreciate the fauna of the area.
Santa Maria Lagoon
It is located 65 km from Tolar Grande, you can photograph its Andean parinas (they are a variety of flamingos) and the imposing silhouette of the Incahuasi Volcano that stands majestically on the horizon.
Want to book an excursion to Tolar Grande and the Arita Cone?
If you want to book an excursion to Tolar Grande and Arita Cone, please contact us: info@ripioturismo.com
Other amazing activities and excursions in Salta
We have many options to discover Salta, Jujuy, and the Argentinian northwest. These are two of the most interesting, but we have many.
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Tours to visit the Argentinian Northwest
We have a great variety of tours to visit these amazing places, most of them including Salta, Jujuy and the Northwest in general, combined with many other amazing destinations in Argentina such El Calafate, Ushuaia, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Bariloche… Check one of my favorites, the 104 tour; The Argentinian North in 12 amazing nights
Tours to visit the Argentinian North and other amazing destinations
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