- Address: Llamado Puna Jujeña, 4600 San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy
- Area: 6000 square meters. km
- Height above sea level: 170 m
There are many natural attractions in Argentina , and these are not always mountains, beaches and reserves . The salt marshes of Argentina cause interest not only among scientists, but also among ordinary tourists. And solar photos share memories of a salt tour for many years.
More about Salinas-Grandes solonchak
Salinas Grandes - a former salt lake, and now a salt marsh of enormous size. Its age is estimated at 20-30 thousand years. The lake was once formed in a tectonic hollow between two ridges of the Sierra Pampa - the Sierra de Ancati and the Sierra Le Cordoba. Solonchak Salinas-Grandes is located in the north-west of Argentina at around 170 m above sea level.
The former Lake Salinas-Grandes on the map of the district occupies a large area: a width of 100 km, a length of about 250 km. The total area of the solonchak is 6,000 square meters. km, the territory is rich in soda and potassium carbonate. This is the largest of the salt marshes of Argentina - the third largest in the world in size.
Through it are the main highway No. 50, as well as the railway. Transport routes connect the cities of Tucuman and Córdoba . Water in the solonchak is a rare phenomenon. It drains from the mountains after the rains and quickly evaporates.
What to see?
Tourists from all over the world come to Argentina to look at the snow-white salty desert Salinas-Grandes. It's tens of kilometers of silence and space. Volcanic activity in these places has died down, and the lake has long disappeared. For more than 300 years, salt has been extracted in these places and various figures and crafts made from salt deposits.
You can collect for memory a little salt from the surface or buy salt souvenirs from local workers. On the salt marsh under the open sky is equipped with a salt restaurant "Restaurant de Sal". Along the highway are funny figures: an owl, a church, a man in a hat, tables and chairs, a woman with arms raised and others.
How to get to the salt marsh?
The most convenient way to get to Salinas Grandes is by car from Tucuman to Cordoba or in the opposite direction. Adhere to the coordinates 30 ° 00'00 "S and 65 ° 00'00 "W, so as not to roll in the wrong direction. Solonchak is located 126 km from the city of Purmamarca . Here you can take part in a bus excursion .
In the middle of the solonchak there is an official stop, where you are invited to go out and stroll through the salt spaces. Be careful: during the day on Salinas Grandes the air warms up to 40 ° C. Take appropriate clothing, protective equipment and a supply of water.