Antofalla, Andean volcano and hamlet in Catamarca Province, Argentina
Antofalla is a stratovolcano rising about 6,440 meters (21,130 feet) with a tiny settlement of roughly 40 people located at its base around 3,300 meters (10,827 feet) elevation. The site sits near a large salt flat and is surrounded by barren high-altitude terrain.
Indigenous Andean peoples inhabited and used the region for centuries, adapting to the harsh high-altitude climate. Access to the area improved significantly after a road was built in the early 1990s across the Abra de los Colorados pass.
The small settlement preserves traditional ways of life in this remote Andean region, where local customs pass from one generation to the next. Visitors can observe how the daily rhythm of residents connects closely with the harsh high-altitude environment.
The settlement is reachable only by sturdy four-wheel-drive vehicle from Antofagasta de la Sierra, with unpaved roads requiring several hours of travel. Visitors should prepare for extreme altitude, cold weather, and isolated conditions.
The settlement sits directly adjacent to one of the region's largest salt flats, which stretches across a considerable distance and holds interesting geological properties. This proximity to such a vast salt landscape makes it a rare location within the high Andes.
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