Quebrada de las Flechas Extended Mining Circuit

Beyond the postcard viewpoints of Quebrada de las Flechas lies a network of mining roads that penetrate deep into Salta’s high country. The route starts at the famous arrow-shaped rock formations tourists photograph from RN40, then climbs through increasingly remote canyons where Diaguita petroglyphs mark ancient hunting camps. Past Angastaco village, the track becomes a true mining road following German engineers’ routes to abandoned antimony workings at 4,200 meters elevation.

Stock vehicles can handle the initial scenic sections, but the mining circuit demands serious 4WD capability and mountain driving experience. Carry emergency supplies including extra fuel, water, and warm clothing — weather changes fast above 3,500 meters. Best attempted April through October when snow doesn’t block the high passes. The payoff is having this incredible landscape to yourself, plus access to some of the most intact pre-Columbian rock art sites in northwest Argentina.