The brine pools
Mirroring the sky.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jaan-Cornelius K. — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
Salinas Grandes is a vast white salt flat on the Puna plateau between Jujuy and Salta provinces, at about 3,450 metres, its white crust covering some 212 square kilometres, like a field of snow under a clear blue sky. Local people have worked the salt here for a very long time with simple tools. National Route 52 reaches it after climbing the winding Cuesta de Lipán from Purmamarca to above 4,000 metres, then dropping onto the flat. Workers dig rectangular pools of brine that mirror the sky, the surface cracks into hexagons, and visitors amuse themselves with perspective-trick photos. An entry fee is charged per vehicle at the gate, and going to the pools requires a guide from the local communities. The white glare is intense, so bring sunglasses and sunscreen, and the altitude leaves you short of breath, so do not overdo it. Lithium exploration beneath the flat has drawn protests from local communities over falling groundwater.
Mirroring the sky.
A winding road above 4,000 m.
On the white ground.
National Route 52 between Purmamarca and the Puna, Jujuy and Salta
A guide from the local communities, hired at the entrance, is required to go to the pools, and an entry fee is charged per vehicle.