Commonly known as Jujuy and locally referred to as San Salvador, this capital city of the Jujuy Province in North West Argentina lies where the wooded hills meet the lowlands.
The city lies on the national Route 99 and is connected with La Quaica and Salta.
You can also visit Tilcara and Calilegua national Park while you are.
Jujuy is located near the Andes mountain Range and lies at the junction of the Xibi Xibi River.
The city is the seat of provincial government and most of the offices whether government or private are located here.
Petroleum Extraction is a big economic strength and so are the Sugar industries and Tobacco.
Steel is also manufactured here and then they also produce fruits and vegetables for local consumption.
A colonial city center is the prominent point here and it was earlier a settlement on a very strategic site.
The inhabitants settled in groups on the mule Trade route between San Miguel De tacuman and silver mines in Potosi Bolivia.
While it was at its peak, San Salvador refused the status of the provincial capital and later separated from Salta.
It was basically the setting up of the northern Railway that basically made Jujuy grow to huge limits.
The railway line came in 1900 and the first establishment for higher education was set up in 1959.
In 1973, the National University of Jujuy came into existence and has been a site of many movies being shot here including the very famous Veronio Cruz (1988).
It also had an impoverished neighborhood gave rise to the Milagro Sala’s indigenist Tupac Amaru Neighborhood Association.
Best time to visit San Salvador De Jujuy?
A very pleasant sub-tropical climate exists mainly because of the altitude.
Summers bring warm days and pleasant nice nights.
There is a huge variation between the temperatures of the day and the night.
Summers also have ferocious thunderstorms.
The rest of the year is sunny with delightful rains.
During heat waves, temperatures are high, in fact quite high.
Precipitation is maximum in the warmest months.
Planning a holiday?
You should be avoiding the summers here.
Best things to do in San Salvador De Jujuy
These are my favorite things to do and beautiful places to visit on your next holiday to San Salvador De Jujuy.
Calilegua National Park
You can reach the Celilegua National Park by a car or a bus, whatever may suit you.
You would be able to see the whole area lined up by the sugar factories.
These factories are the economical backbone of the city and provide employment in huge numbers.
You can even rent a car at economical prices and reach the National park by yourself.
All you need is a license to drive and a good map.
The roadways are not twisted in this part of the world and you would not have any difficulty in reaching where ever you want to go.
Once you reach here, you will be greeted by the deep ravines which have been carved by rains and rivers.
A lush green forest will soothe you and the abundant rainfall in this area has contributed to the growth of the dense forest.
Hence, this area is very suitable for wildlife due to its apt foliage and temperatures which are important for the sustainability.
Once you are inside the park, you can enjoy many activities.
One of them is called Tree mapping.
You can also choose to have a guide accompany you to observe the thick forests and study about the trees and animal here.
The entire stretch has various panoramic points which will amaze you with their perfection.
A perfect spot to capture some pictures, you need to carry a camera to this place.
Once you are done with the sightseeing tours, you can also enroll in the group tour which takes you trekking.
Hiking and trekking tours of different difficulty levels can be enjoyed.
If you wish to enjoy the scenic beauty of the various bird and mammal species in their natural habitats, then you can also find good and affordable accommodation for yourself at this place and stay over.
With over 260 species of birds in this area, it is not very difficult to spot birds here.
The Calilegua National Park also has the endangered Jaguars, Ferrets, crab Eating fox, tufted capuchins and various species of squirrels.
A beautiful camping site called the Aguas Negras camping site which offers you good services along with free drinking water and Bathrooms.
A picnic area called the Mesada de las Colmenas also makes you enjoy your picnics comfortably.
My favorite stuff to do in San Salvador De Jujuy
Casa de Gobierno de Jujuy
This building houses the first Argentinian Flag.
A dedicated resource person explains to you the history of the flag which is related to independence of Argentine from Spain.
It is not the flag which is normally used in the battles but the flag which is given to Belgrano to the Jujuy People.
A large building, this place is surrounded by a collection of sculptures.
Located in the same square as the cathedral, it has benches and fountains that offer you various places to sit and relax after a tiring day.
A rectangular courtyard lines this French Building which is reminiscent of the old rich history of Jujuy.
Most of the construction patterns in Case se Gobierno de Jujuy are in the French style and boats of rich craftsmanship.
The most beautiful piece of architecture is the staircase here which is truly French.
The place is externally embellished with four sculptures by Lola Mora and specially commissioned Julio Argentino.
Take a look at the Patio de las Magnolias.
There is also a shield which has been approved by the Constituent General and is a milestone of the natural ancient history here.
The Jujeno village was loved greatly and a national pride, so custody was awarded to a shrine to which you could swear allegiance and even be blessed at that time.
Known as the banner of civil Liberty, the roof of the enclosure is decorated with European pieces.
A must visit for the lovers of ancient folklore and fables.
Fun things to do in San Salvador De Jujuy
Catedral de San Salvador de Jujuy
A lovely structure in the center of the city and also the burial site of Oscar Romero, a well-known Catholic Church and archbishop of El Salvador, the Cathedral de San Salvador de Jujuy is a sight to behold.
While he spoke out loud against the human rights issues and literally begged the military to stop killing civilians, he clashed with the local government and the Catholic Church.
He was ultimately shot in 1980 while celebrating a local mass in the basement of this church.
The back patio is notable with a display of art by children of his likeness.
It is a beautiful place with a lot of history and rich past.
You need to be taking your time and appreciating it.
You ca actually draw a lot of energy from the pulpit and the altar.
The treat would be if you get to visit this place if a wedding is in progress.
You would be amazed to see the beauty of this place and the way in which it has been decorated.
It also has a museum that gives a beautiful view to the plaza and if given a chance you should definitely see it.
Popular San Salvador De Jujuy tourist attractions
Tres Cruces
Most of the coaches that are travelling through the area stop at Humahuaca and then go back to Jujuy or Salta.
But by not visiting this site, you would be missing one of the best sights in the area.
Located on Route 9 to Tres Cruces, are many spectacular views of the region.
A steady climb uphill, the roads have been maintained in a very good condition.
The shapes of the mountains offer a beautiful view and the colors and the vastness of the view will make you tread up higher.
Definitely worth a longer drive and an extra couple of hours, this pace is amazing.
Even if you reach her by early afternoon, you would have the time to reach Salta for dinner.
But the basic point is that you have to move “stop-to stop” for Tres Cruces to enjoy the place and fall in love with it.
A narrow river lined with yellow sands merges with the dark blue bands of the skies.
To complete the postcard picture, the white clouds are scattered through the sky almost making it a fabricated background.
The open reserves of salt are an impressive sights and you can find many crosses scattered here and there all through the place.
What else to do in San Salvador De Jujuy?
Tourist office
The Tourist office here was an old train station.
So while you have the station that was renovated, they decided to use it as the tourist office.
Even if you have nothing to ask for and no reservations to make, you should still visit it once to see what the place is like.
The inner court is very nicely done with glass and very practical also, when you are trying to beat the heat.
The people and the staff here are also very friendly and help you with ever they have to help you with.
The building is humongous considering it was meant to be a Train station.
Is San Salvador De Jujuy worth visiting?
The answer is Yes.
San Salvador De Jujuy is worth visiting.
This is because it is such a magical place
full of beauty and adventours.
Make sure you visit the following stunning place:
Plaza Belgrano
While he started his life as a lawyer and a reputed economist, Manuel Belgrano eventually became a politician and finally a General whose campaigns were mainly fought in the far North.
He is the man behind the country’s flag and has credible contribution to the country’s Independence.
He is one of the most revered men here.
A handsome quarter is just the place to be while you are in this area.
The shrubs and flowers grow naturally and you can spend a good amount of time admiring the gardens here.
So while the Plaza Belgrano is memorial sorts of a thing for this great man, he caresses the flag he gave up his life for.
They have lined the entire place with trees and are also a delight to sit here and sip a coffee and rest in the open air.
The surrounding buildings represent the Hispano South American Architecture and are a cool meeting place for the young people and the families of the area.
One side of this Plaza is flanked by the State Legislature.
From this cathedral, the seat of the government is appreciated.
And is actually occupies the same spot which was earlier the foundation for Jujuy.
This place is fresh even after it been there for so long.
The entire square has some or the other building of importance and now it has actually become a place where in, whenever you turn is some direction you spot something worth a visit.
What else to see in San Salvador De Jujuy?
The Archeological Museum
This is probably the only museum that you would be able to find here, except for the one in the church otherwise.
Observing the afternoon fiesta and want some action?
Head on to the archeological museum and you will spend a good day exploring the history of Jujuy and in fact the whole of South America.
The lady who runs the place is very friendly and you can spend hours talking to her and asking question about Jujuy.
She has the answers to all of them.
The highlight of the museum is a clay sculpture that stands in the middle of the place.
This sculpture has snakes on the head of the lady and is giving birth to a child.
This is purely an amazing piece of sculpting and seems very strange also.
A total of five rooms are filled with historical treasures in the Archeological Museum and the entire place is pretty intriguing.
You can also get the journals and the leaflets that have been printed in English, to help you understand the existence of the museum and the history of the artifacts around it.
This happens to be one of the most important museums of Jujuy and it has an extensive collection of various objects that were being used by the ancient tribes.
It basically narrated the starting point of the history of Jujuy and then takes you through the various periods of the civilization.
Hence, it is considered to be one of the greatest treasures of history in Jujuy and was constructed with the intention of gathering all the artifacts and historical facts of this area and assimilating them at one place.
So apart from the display and exhibits of the things, the museum also focuses on constructively preserving whatever is left of the history.
The pre-Hispanic cultures that developed in the province; the Casabindo and the Yavi, the rich heritage about them can be found only at this place.
The venue also has a library which is stocked up and a work department.
You would also find a conference room here and many events keep happening.
You will be able to find primitive ceramic and rock pieces.
A collection of metallurgical objects is also found at the Cities of Tilcara.
There is also a mind blowing display of the ways in which the humans lived years ago.
With certain settlements that are so unusual, this place is lovely.
You may wish to skip this if you are faint hearted, but a look at the dried bodies and skulls will impress you greatly.
The sheer precision with which they would preserve the bodies and the skulls; each element of this narrates the history that is linked to the local individual!
You can also find some mummies here with beautifully painted urns which correspond to the ancient traditions.
Popular places to visit in San Salvador De Jujuy
Municipal Botanical Garden
A nice park which goes easy for you!
Here you do not need to be scooping up an info per say and you can just enjoy a lazy day resting under the trees and the skies if the last few days have been tiring you endlessly.
You have to ring the bell of Ud Access and then you are invited to meet the person In charge of the Administering the guides.
He would help you in finding a guide to accompany you if you want to.
Then you also have the choice to perform a self-guided tour along a path which has been raised a bit.
There are various viewpoints that have been constructed here to make you capture the best scenic locations of this area and also to let you rest as and when you feel tired and hungry.
You will also find signs along every corner of the place along with its scientific description and eventually you will find the Watchtower.
Try reaching to the top of this magnificent construction of the Municipal Botanical garden and you would be able to see a beauty view that you may have never experienced before.
A must visit for a different kind of fun.
Jujuy is a people’s place and does not have much flashiness to it.
The city as simple as the people here are.
Jujuy is famous for its wines and this is one of the best wine producing areas in the world.
While you find yourself a perfect pose to click a picture try checking out the city on foot as well.
Apart from letting you connect with the small gravities of the place it will also let you understand the local culture completely.
And you will find a million spots to get clicked.
Click happy selfies too!
