Where do I begin…our one month in Salta, Argentina was absolutely fantastic! Salta can be best described as the 4 F’s, Food, Friendly people, fantastic weather & fabulous mountain views just the beginning. We intended to have a short visit with friends before heading back to the U.S. for a visit with our family. In a video catch up with a solo female traveler that we had met back when we first started traveling, she asked us to come join her & check out Salta. Well we looked at our budget & decided that 30 days in Argentina was more budget friendly than an additional 30 days in the U.S. so off we were to Salta, Argentina. OMG Salta turned out to be more excitement & adventure than we could have ever imagined. We were able to play ‘catch-up’ with Schuanne & see some an amazing country at the same time.
I have to preface this blog & say, Salta, Argentina was very economical on our fixed monthly budget even with the daily up/down flux of the Argentina peso (I’ll discuss more below). Lets get started.
A Little History Please about Salta, Argentina
Salta has a rich history founded in 1582 by Spanish settler Hernando de Lerma. The city served as a connection for ports in Lima, Peru & Buenos Aires, Argentina but also had a significant role in Argentina War of Independence in 1813 when Spanish forces were defeated in Salta under General Manuel Belgrano’s leadership. We learned about the history of Salta, when Schuanne arranged an incredible bi-lingual museum self guided museum tour at the Guemes Museum.
Along with Belgrano’s leadership, General Guemes was recognized for his bravery & leadership as well. The Guemes Museum is a must see in Salta! The Museum consists of ten rooms, some with pictures, videos & audio supported scenes from the war. The Guemes Museum was recognized in 2023 as a Country Brand for its contribution to national history. The center point of the display is the significance of General Martin Miguel de Guemes & his leadership of the Argentinean people in the war.
One Month in Salta, Argentina – Housing & Argentina Peso
We normally go thru AirBnB to find housing but this time around for our one month in Salta, Schuanne found an apartment for us through a local real estate agent. Schuanne learned Spanish while traveling the last 3 years in Mexico & Latin America & she used her language skills to negotiate a very good rental price on a one bedroom one bathroom large apartment with a 180° balcony. We had to pay the owner in local currency (Argentinian peso). This is where we got our first lesson & major confusion about the various currency exchange rates for Argentina. The apartment was beautiful & the cost quoted to us converted to $500 USD per month all bills paid – we checked multiple currency converters & found it equated to about $459,000 ARS. We ordered the money to cover the above rent thru Western Union & went to pay the owner rent the next day. The owner had used an unofficial rate from the Argentinian National bank that inflated the price up to $580 for the month. After some complaining & negotiating the owner finally agreed to accept the equivalent of $540USD or $500,000 ARS and installed a microwave & clothes drying rack.
Is Salta Safe?
Is Salta safe? Absolutely! Salta sits in the northern part of Argentina & is quite safe. Of course, you have to be aware of surroundings & should keep your head on a swivel but the people are super nice. With well lit streets & an ever present police & security presence walking the streets day & night you should be fine. Yes, though it isn’t normal for us to be out after dark in a foreign country, we never EVER felt unsafe the few times we happened to be walking home during night-time hours.
We only had the need for Uber a few times & it worked fine. We have learned that when you use a taxi, you have to tell them to follow the direction on your map & change the language so that the map is giving verbal directions on your phone speaker in their language. This will avoid the taxi driver taking you on an unnecessary round-about route that could easily pad that meter amount!
TIP:Not all taxi drivers are willing to take advantage of a ‘tourist’ but it only takes once for it to happen to you. For safety, we use Uber & share our location with family members, we also set Uber to provide a pin number that the driver has to enter correctly to start the trip.
Climate in Salta?
The February temperatures in Salta worked well for us. The daytime temperatures can get a little warm with temperatures ranging from the mid-70’s to the low 80’s. Most places in Salta, do not have heating or A/C, the same for our apartment, so we used the electric fan to help us stay cool during the warm days & nights. Spending the month of January in Salta worked out perfect. Salta is known for its subtropical weather temps, which is normally 70’s during the day and cooler at night, however I don’t believe you could pick a wrong month to visit.
Things to do in Salta, Argentina!
Our Paragliding Adventure!
Our paragliding adventure was a dream activity for us. The Big Guy will admit he is not a fan of heights & here he is being pulled off Cerro San Bernardo mountain in Salta, Argentina – a mountain that towers more than 4,700 feet high!!! I told him once he got in the gear he could not change his mind. Ha!!!! Once in the air he was having a blast, but once on the ground he said he I did it and will never do that again!!
‘Until you spread your wings, you have no idea How far you will fly’
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The price for this day of fun was under $100 for the two of us – each with a 30 minute flight. Marking this off our bucket list!
TeleferiQo San Bernardo
Train to Clouds or “Tren alas Nubes”
The Tren alas Nubes as well as the San Bernardo Cable Car were both recognized as ‘Country Brands’ for Argentina.
The Tren alas Nubes is well worth the experience. You will see salt flats, striped colored mountains & a wide array of plants & nature. The bus ride to the train station was enjoyable & very comfy. The various mountain views are wonders of nature for sure! We didn’t feel the altitude until we reached the end of the tracks on mountain.
Pena Folklorica
Salta is well known for its “PENA’s”, which are traditional couple dancers that perform dances in their restaurant or on the street while you eat a traditional meal. We had heard about the Pena’s Folklorica & specifically searched for one of these restaurants for dinner. All we had to do was find Balcarce street dressed with sidewalk tables & fully decorated for a night of fun, food, music & dancing. The street is literally lined up with local restaurants with street entertainment by the dancers of each restaurant.
Each Pena has its own menu of traditional foods & with the traditional brilliant costumes & foods with lively music you can’t help but smile!
Walking the Streets Enjoying the Views
It seemed like there was a park for every couple blocks & all you could see were families enjoying time together!
In Closing…Salta was such a pleasant experience!
Salta was a dream for a spur of the moment trip. With cobblestone streets, fantastic music/food/scenery, we were never at a lack of ‘what to do today’. Walking was very safe & we did walk & meeting the locals was the best! Could we live here? Since we were only here a month, we concentrated on Salta vs trying to get out of the area. The economy fits right in with this budget minded couple for sure…we will keep it at the top of our list for now.
Misc pics from Salta, Argentina!