Jujuy Altitude Guide: Elevation of Every Town from Tilcara to the Puna

Elevations in meters and feet above sea level, sorted from lowest to highest by region:

• Yungas / Calilegua National Park: from below 500 m (1,640 ft) up to 3,646 m (11,962 ft) at Cerro Amarillo
• San Salvador de Jujuy: 1,259 m (4,131 ft)
• Termas de Reyes hot springs: about 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
• Purmamarca: 2,324 m (7,625 ft)
• Maimará: 2,383 m (7,818 ft)
• Tilcara: 2,465 m (8,087 ft)
• Iruya (Salta province): 2,780 m (9,121 ft)
• Uquía: 2,818 m (9,245 ft)
• Humahuaca: 2,939 m (9,642 ft)
• La Quiaca: 3,442 m (11,293 ft)
• Salinas Grandes: 3,450 m (11,319 ft)
• Abra Pampa: 3,484 m (11,430 ft)
• Yavi: 3,516 m (11,535 ft)
• Susques: 3,675 m (12,057 ft)
• Cuesta de Lipán pass: 4,170 m (13,681 ft)
• Paso de Jama (Chile border): 4,200 m (13,780 ft)
• Hornocal viewpoint: 4,350 m (14,272 ft)

The whole Quebrada de Humahuaca is a valley that climbs steadily north along National Route 9: the further you get from the capital, the higher you sleep. The Puna, to the west and north, is a high plateau roughly between 3,300 and 4,600 m (10,800 to 15,100 ft).

Sources measure different points (the main square, the old railway station, the edge of town) or repeat old data. We use the figure most often cited by official and encyclopedic sources; these are the ranges you will see:

• Purmamarca: 2,192 to 2,324 m. The Jujuy Film Commission, Argentina's national tourism board and Wikipedia give 2,324 m; the town council says about 2,195 m.
• Maimará: 2,334 to 2,390 m. The national tourism board uses 2,383 m.
• Tilcara: 2,461 or 2,465 m depending on the source.
• Humahuaca: 2,939 m according to Jujuy's Ministry of Culture and Tourism; other sources say 3,012 m.
• Iruya: 2,713 to 2,780 m.
• Susques: 3,675 to 3,896 m.

For acclimatization, a 50 or 100 m difference is irrelevant. What matters is the jump between regions: from the capital to the Quebrada you gain more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft), and from the Quebrada to the Puna or the high viewpoints another 1,000 to 1,500 m.

Altitude sickness (locals call it soroche or apunamiento) happens because air pressure drops as you climb, so every breath delivers less oxygen. As a rough guide, the capital has about 14% less available oxygen than sea level; Tilcara around 26%; the Salinas Grandes 35%; and the Hornocal viewpoint more than 40%.

• Below 2,000 m / 6,500 ft (the capital, Termas de Reyes, the Yungas): very few people notice anything.
• 2,000 to 2,500 m / 6,500 to 8,200 ft (Purmamarca, Maimará, Tilcara): you may feel tired on uphill walks, get a mild headache or sleep poorly the first night.
• 2,500 to 3,000 m / 8,200 to 9,800 ft (Uquía, Iruya, Humahuaca): altitude sickness becomes common if you arrive straight from the lowlands. The CDC Yellow Book advises against going from below 1,200 m (4,000 ft) to a sleeping altitude above 2,750 m (9,000 ft) in a single day.
• 3,000 to 3,700 m / 9,800 to 12,100 ft (Salinas Grandes, La Quiaca, Abra Pampa, Yavi, Susques): most people get breathless walking fast. Only sleep here after a few nights in the Quebrada.
• Above 4,000 m / 13,100 ft (Lipán, Jama, Hornocal): keep visits short. Get out of the car slowly and head back down to sleep.

Typical symptoms: headache, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and insomnia. If they get worse, stop climbing and go down. The full protocol is in our guide to acclimatizing to altitude in Jujuy.

The order of your itinerary matters more than any pill. General medical guidance (CDC and Wilderness Medical Society) is to spend 2 to 3 nights at around 2,450 to 2,750 m (8,000 to 9,000 ft) before going higher and, once above 3,000 m (9,800 ft), not to raise your sleeping altitude by more than 500 m (1,650 ft) a day. In Jujuy that means three steps:

• Step 1, the capital (1,259 m / 4,131 ft): if you fly in from Buenos Aires, spend your first night in San Salvador or nearby.
• Step 2, the Quebrada (2,300 to 2,900 m / 7,500 to 9,500 ft): sleep 2 or 3 nights in Purmamarca, Maimará or Tilcara. Do day trips to Humahuaca or the Salinas Grandes from there and come back down to sleep.
• Step 3, the Puna and high viewpoints (3,400 to 4,350 m / 11,150 to 14,270 ft): once you have adjusted, head up to Hornocal, cross over to Iruya, or sleep in Humahuaca before continuing to Abra Pampa, La Quiaca or Yavi.

A classic mistake is landing at the airport, having lunch in Purmamarca and driving up to the Salinas Grandes the same afternoon: that is more than 2,500 m (8,200 ft) of elevation gain from the airport in a few hours. If you are short on time, base yourself in Tilcara and treat the high spots as day trips.

San Salvador de Jujuy (1,259 m / 4,131 ft). The provincial capital sits in a green valley where the Grande and Xibi Xibi rivers meet. Hardly anyone feels the altitude here, which makes it the best base for day one. Everything you need is on our San Salvador de Jujuy page.

Termas de Reyes (about 1,800 m / 5,900 ft). Sources place the hot springs between 1,750 and 1,850 m, in the Reyes ravine, about 19 km (12 miles) from the capital.

Yungas and Calilegua National Park (below 500 m up to 3,646 m / 1,640 to 11,962 ft). Jujuy's eastern cloud forest climbs from the foothills to high grasslands. It is the lowest region in the province, so altitude is rarely an issue unless you hike to the summits. More on our Yungas and Calilegua page.

Purmamarca (2,324 m / 7,625 ft). Set at the foot of the Hill of Seven Colors, this is the first real altitude threshold of the trip. Travelers coming from sea level often feel a bit tired on the Paseo de los Colorados loop, but sleeping here is an excellent way to acclimatize. See our Purmamarca guide.

Maimará (2,383 m / 7,818 ft). A quiet village facing the Painter's Palette, between Purmamarca and Tilcara. It sits at almost the same height as Tilcara, so it also works as a base for your first nights. More on our Maimará page.

Tilcara (2,465 m / 8,087 ft). The most popular acclimatization base: plenty of places to stay and eat, 84 km (52 miles) north of the capital on the way to Humahuaca. Walking up to the Pucará ruins or hiking uphill to the Garganta del Diablo is a good test of how your body is coping. Everything about the town is on our Tilcara page.

Uquía (2,818 m / 9,245 ft). A small village about 10 km (6 miles) south of Humahuaca, known for its colonial church with paintings of angels carrying muskets.

Humahuaca (2,939 m / 9,642 ft). The highest large town in the Quebrada and the gateway to the Puna. Many travelers get their first headache here, especially if they climb the stairs of the Independence Monument as soon as they arrive. More on our Humahuaca page.

Hornocal viewpoint (4,350 m / 14,272 ft). About 25 km (15 miles) from Humahuaca on a gravel road, the viewpoint facing the Mountain of 14 Colors is the highest point on the classic tourist circuit. The range itself tops out at 4,761 m (15,620 ft), but you do not climb it. Read our Hornocal guide before you go.

Cuesta de Lipán (pass at 4,170 m / 13,681 ft). In less than 30 km (19 miles), Route 52 climbs from Purmamarca to the top of the Lipán pass, a gain of almost 2,000 m (6,500 ft). At the top there is an altitude sign and a few craft stalls.

Iruya, Salta (2,780 m / 9,121 ft). This cliffside village is in Salta province but is reached from the Jujuy side of the Quebrada. The road crosses the Abra del Cóndor at 3,970 m (13,025 ft), on the provincial border, then drops steeply to the village. Go after several nights in the Quebrada. Details in our Iruya travel guide.

Salinas Grandes (3,450 m / 11,319 ft). The salt flats are about 66 km (41 miles) from Purmamarca on Route 52. When you arrive you are more than 1,100 m above the village, on a blinding white plain with no shade. Most visitors do it as a half-day trip and sleep back in the Quebrada. More on our Salinas Grandes page.

Susques (3,675 m / 12,057 ft). Beyond the salt flats, Route 52 continues toward Chile and reaches Susques, about 135 km (84 miles) west of Purmamarca. It is one of the highest towns in Argentina reachable on a paved road.

Paso de Jama (4,200 m / 13,780 ft). This is the border crossing into Chile on Route 52, heading toward San Pedro de Atacama. Customs formalities happen at this altitude, and the post has a first-aid room for people who feel unwell.

Abra Pampa (3,484 m / 11,430 ft). The second-largest town on the Puna, on Route 9, 211 km (131 miles) from the capital. Nearby Cerro Huancar is known for its sand dunes.

La Quiaca (3,442 m / 11,293 ft). The border town facing Villazón, Bolivia, about 290 km (180 miles) from the capital on Route 9.

Yavi (3,516 m / 11,535 ft). About 17 km (11 miles) from La Quiaca, it preserves the house of the Marquises of Tojo and a colonial church with gilded altarpieces.

• Drink more water than usual: the air in the Quebrada and the Puna is extremely dry.
• Skip alcohol for the first 48 hours at altitude, as the CDC recommends.
• Walk slowly and keep exercise light for the first two days.
• Coca tea is a widespread local remedy for mild symptoms; it does not replace a gradual ascent. Coca leaves are legal in northern Argentina, but do not take them home: they are illegal in the US, UK and Australia.
• Protect your skin and eyes: solar radiation is intense at altitude all year round.
• If you are traveling with children, older relatives or anyone with heart or lung conditions, see a doctor before going above 3,000 m (9,800 ft).