The hanging village
On the mountainside.
Havardtl — CC BY 4.0 · Manuela Abuela — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Manuela Abuela — CC BY-SA 4.0 · littletroll — CC BY-SA 3.0
Iruya is a small mountain village of about a thousand people, clinging to a mountainside by the Iruya river at 2,780 metres in the far north of Salta province. No road links it directly to the rest of Salta, so visitors come from the Jujuy side, the last fifty or so kilometres on gravel, climbing to a high pass and then dropping in many bends into the valley. Its houses are of stone and adobe with mud roofs, its steep lanes climb the hill, and towering many-coloured mountains surround it. Trails lead from the village to other small settlements in the valley, such as San Isidro about eight kilometres away, crossing the riverbed on the way. Many come on a long day trip from Humahuaca, but a night there is more relaxed. In the summer rainy season the road can close because of flash floods, so ask about conditions before setting out.
On the mountainside.
Bends into the valley.
Along the riverbed.
Iruya department, Salta province, reached via Jujuy
Yes, from Humahuaca on a long trip, but a night is more relaxed, and the road can close in the summer rains.