I’d heard great things about Northern Argentina, especially the Jujuy and Salta provinces. When I found out that the Serranías del Hornocal, a group of multicoloured hills, were also located in the Jujuy province I knew I was going to try hard to factor a visit to the Jujuy area into my plans.
My original plan was to go to Salta and from there try and team up with other fellow backpackers to rent a car for a couple of days. On my first morning in my Salta hostel, I chatted with three girls who were also looking to rent a car.
Positive we’d be able to rent one, we walked into several car rentals to be told there was no availability. Turns out we hadn’t factored Easter into our plan! We potentially found one car, but the lady nicely told us that it wasn’t suitable for where we wanted to go.
Still not wanting to do a day tour, we decided we’d get a bus to Humahuaca, which is the closest town to the coloured hills, and go from there.
We got to Humahuaca mid-afternoon on a 5hr bus from Salta. Once at our hostel (which was literally a 2min walk from the bus station – the perks of a tiny town!), we were advised to go see the Serranías del Hornocal straight away as the weather was good and the light is best in the afternoon.
Getting to Serranías del Hornocal
Given that we didn’t have a car, our only option was to find someone to drive us. Finding a driver was extremely easy, they gather at the bridge just north of the bus station with their vehicles. We paid $350ARG (£6 approx) each for a 3hr ish trip, plus an additional $50ARG entrance fee (£1ish) per vehicle for the viewpoint.
The road to El Hornocal wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. That said, the unpaved gravel road has several narrow stretches and steep uphills that a small rental car might struggle with, especially if you’re not feeling confident and are affected by the altitude (you’re going up to 4350m!).
We all agreed that we’d made the right choice in not renting a car. It was a much better and more relaxed experience being a passenger!
Our driver was a pro and knew the road so well, he whizzed past rental after rental car and got us there in under an hour. We probably got there in half the time it would have taken us to drive it!
El Hornocal
Once there, we had an hour to explore the viewpoint and walk down the small trail which takes you closer to the coloured hills.
If the altitude hasn’t hit you too hard, I recommend walking down the trail; the views are fab and there are normally less people. The walk back up to the viewpoint is uphill with a steep bit at the end. You’ll most likely be short of breath (I was!), so take it slow and walk at your own speed with as many breaks as you need.
Tip: You’ll want to take some layers with you! At 4350m high, it’s colder up there than in Humahuaca and can be quite windy. You don’t want to be cold! I might have taken my jacket off for the photos!
The views, whether they’re from the viewpoint or further down the trail, are spectacular! Nature once again demonstrates how incredible it is! Here’s a ridiculous number of me at El Hornocal!
How to get to Humahuaca
From Salta, Balut have several daily buses to Humahuaca which take around 5hrs and cost $510ARG (£9 approx). We took the 10.30am one, which to my relief showed up on time promising a better and quicker journey than my last bus ride.
You can also get to Humahuaca by bus from the other towns in the Jujuy province, e.g. Tilcara and Purmamarca, and San Salvador de Jujuy, the province’s capital. You’ll need to check the timetables for these buses at the local bus stations.
There is also the option to rent a car. Most people choose to rent from Salta but San Salvador de Jujuy also has several rentals. Make sure you know if any popular events are upcoming because that will definitely affect your chances of getting a car. We really struggled with Easter and pretty much all car rentals told us there were no cars left.
Also before hiring the car, check your route with the rental place as they will be able to advise you on the car and whether it’s sensible for the route you’re taking.
On telling the car rental lady that we wanted to go to El Hornocal, she told us that the car available wouldn’t manage the final section of road to El Hornocal. Plus, the roads and altitude can be dangerous for those with no experience.
Having now seen the road to El Hornocal and other car rentals driving it, I believe the car could have done it. However, as mentioned earlier, we all felt we’d made the right decision to not rent one. It would have been a much more stressful and anxious experience.
Final thoughts
The Serranías del Hornocal are simply stunning! Definitely one of the gems in the Jujuy province! It’s crazy that a range of hills can have so many colours in such a pattern. They are 100% worth the visit! They did remind me slightly of Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, how come South America has all these colourful hills and mountains!!
They did remind me slightly of Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, how come South America has all these colourful hills and mountains!!
I would team a trip to see El Hornocal with a short stay in the Jujuy area. It’s worth it! I used Humahuaca as my base, but you can also stay in the bigger and more popular town of Tilcara.
During my three day stay in Humahuaca, I also went to the small town of Uquía and walked the Quebrada de las Señoritas, and to Purmamarca to see el Cerro de Siete Colores (the hill of seven colours).
