11km south of Humahuaca lies the small town of Uquía. From Uquía, we were recommended the Quebrada de las Señoritas hike. It’s a 3km hike from the edge of town passing through red desert landscapes until you reach the rock formations at the end.
Quebrada de las Señoritas hike
We did the walk in an hour and weren’t going fast. The majority of the walk is pretty flat with a few gentle inclines. For us, it was the heat, sun (there’s no cover so take a hat), and gravelly sandy path that made it harder. Plus I think we were all having a lazy day!
The trail isn’t always that obvious. Look for the blue red ribbons, which mark the path, to guide you.
The walk is so worth it! The dry dusty landscapes dotted with cacti and backdropped by red rocks were stunning. I felt like I could have been on a set of a western movie!
The best smoothies, juices, milkshakes…
If you’re looking for refreshment after the walk, look no further! I know just the place for you! It’s amazing!
As you get to the top of town, walk down the street with the cementery on your left. A couple of houses down you’ll see a house that looks like this (see image below) with a sign for juices outside.
It didn’t look open but we went inside and soon met Gabriella, the lady who lives there. She made us super yummy smoothie milkshakes which was just what we needed after hiking in the dry heat.
We liked them so much we ordered two each as well as a bottle of homemade lemonade. I had banana, apple, chia seeds, oats and milk for my first and banana, peach and milk for my second! They were so good!!!
It also has the cutest patio ever with cacti in pots everywhere! Such a wonderful home!
Sitting on the patio with our drinks, we recommended Gabriella’s drinks to fellow walkers walking past. There was soon a small group of us relaxing on her courtyard drinking her smoothies.
How to get to Uquía
Uquía is only 11km south of Humahuaca and you can easily get there by local bus, if like us and you don’t have a car.
Buses leave from the bus station around every 20-30mins. They will have Tilcara displayed as the destination but stop off on the way at Uquía. The journey took about 15/20mins and cost $20ARG (£0.40 approx).
Final thoughts
I loved everything about our trip to Uquía! At the start of the walk, I was lacking energy. I’m not sure if this was partly due to altitude because I didn’t feel like we were that high. I guess it could have been. One of the good things about being with three other people is that we were able to motivate each other to keep going!
The milkshakes after the walk were delicious and the perfect way to relax afterwards! Honestly go to her place!
If you want to see more of the landscapes of the Jujuy province, then the Quebrada de las Señoritas hike is a good way to see them. The scenery is stunning! You can do it in half a day, or a few hours if needed.
