Quebrada del Diablo Salta Mining Ghost Town Circuit

Quebrada del Diablo winds through the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Oriental north of Salta, connecting a string of abandoned silver mining camps that once fed the Spanish Empire. The track follows mining roads carved into cliffsides above the Río San Lorenzo, passing the ruins of Mina La Casualidad and the better-preserved ghost town of Nazareno. Technical sections through narrow arroyos require precise wheel placement, especially at the infamous Devil’s Staircase — a series of rocky switchbacks that claimed vehicles and miners’ lives.

This is expert-level technical driving demanding experienced 4WD skills, rock sliders, and skid plates. Approach clearance is critical for the steeper descents. Only attempt during dry season (May-September) as flash floods turn arroyos deadly. Fuel and water in Cafayate — nothing available on the circuit. The reward is accessing Argentina’s forgotten mining frontier, where rusted machinery and stone foundations tell stories of boom-and-bust silver fever in one of the country’s most isolated corners.