From high altitude deserts to salt flats to thick jungle, the Northwest region of Argentina is made to be explored. And believe it or not, despite its relative obscurity, this undiscovered gem is an great place to travel with kids. I know, South America can be intimidating for family travel. But trust me, it’s worth it. Here are the top 6 reasons why you should put Northwest Argentina on your family’s bucketlist :
1. History and Culture
Northwest Argentina was one of the last colonized regions of the Americas. Here you’ll find incredibly well-preserved, i.e. living examples of high Andean culture, and most of the tourists here are from other parts of South America, so it’s a great place for immersion and practicing your Spanish! (Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish though, you’ll get by just fine.) From the old trading outpost of Iruya, to the lively and colorful town of Tilcara and the beautifully preserved Cachi, you’ll get to show your kids a place that hasn’t changed a whole lot since the modern industrial age swept most of the rest of the world. History, culture, geography, and language in one fell swoop!
2. Dinosaurs
No kidding, some of the first dinosaurs bones in the world were discovered out here. In the still-prehistoric landscape (Ischigualasto National Park, La Rioja Province) you can see preserved dinosaur prints in the rocks and tour the museum which holds a number of dino skeletons, fossils, and exhibits. Also check out Talampaya National Park, just up the road from Ischigualasto for more dinosaur fun.
3. Mummies
A little further west to Fiambalá in the Catamarca province or north into Salta there are two different museums (the Museo del Homre and Museo de Archeolgia de Alta Montana de Salta) where incredibly well-preserved Incan mummies are kept. While both museums have mummies on display, the one in Fiambalá is smaller and with way fewer people, you can get a much closer look at the preserved bodies. (Also Fiambalá is famous, but not at all crowded, for its hot springs and surfable sand dunes, making it the adventure family’s dream destination.)
4. Wildlife
From vicuñas (a cousin of the alpaca) in the high altitude deserts, to jaguars in the tropical jungle, this region of the world is teeming with wildlife. There are over a dozen national parks between the Bolivian border and Central Province of San Juan. On a typical walk in the desert behind where we live I can see wild guinea pigs, condors, eagles, lizards, armadillos, foxes, parrots, and more. Plus, this region has more than its share of awesome domesticated critters too, like llamas, donkeys, and even a black hairless dog called a pila.
5. Empanadas
These stuffed savory pastries are the best kid-friendly food that parents will freaking love too. Empanadas are traditional Argentine food and every region has their way to “do it right” but everyone agrees that the best come from the north. Some are fried, some baked in a brick oven. Some are stuffed with ground beef or sliced beef with potatoes, or quinoa and goat cheese, or even stuffed with llama meat in Jujuy. I could go on and on and on about this food. In fact, I even wrote on ode to the empanada last year during my #100daysofnorthargentina challenge on Instagram. I’ll probably even devote a whole blog post to these tasty little morsels soon. Trust me, I seriously cannot get enough of them.
6. It makes an awesome winter vacation.
North American summer is the South American winter. And winter in the desert is the perfect time to go. Not only is it technically the off season, which means better prices and fewer tourists, but the places that are scorching and unbearable in the summer are absolutely lovely in the winter time. Plus, winter is the dry season in the desert, giving you perfectly clear skies for seeing billions upon billions of shimmering stars and discovering the constellations unique to the Southern Hemisphere. There’s even a camping observatory down the road from where we live!
So there you have it! Six reasons to pack your kids and your bags and hit the southern roads.
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