Cuesta del Obispo, Mountain pass in Salta Province, Argentina.

Cuesta del Obispo is a zigzagging, steep 20 km section of provincial route 33 in Salta Province, Argentina. The consolidated, wide, gravel-surfaced road climbs from about 1,270 m at the edge of Chicoana to 3,340 m at the Piedra del Molino, linking the Lerma valley with the Calchaquí valleys. A viewpoint a few hundred metres below the top overlooks nearly the whole climb.

The name recalls 1622, when Julián de Cortázar, third bishop of the Tucumán diocese, travelling from Salta to Cachi, spent an uncomfortable night halfway up the slope; the name was later shortened to Cuesta del Obispo. Until the early 20th century the trip from Salta to Molinos, 210 km away, took at least three days: horse-drawn carriage to the foot of the slope, then horse or mule, with a change at the post called La Cochera. The old tropero path is still visible in places.

The name recalls Bishop Julián de Cortázar, third bishop of the Tucumán diocese, who in 1622 had to spend an uncomfortable night halfway up while travelling from Salta to Cachi; the original Cuesta de la dormida del Obispo was later shortened. Near the summit stands the Piedra del Molino, a granite grinding stone abandoned when its cart broke; it marks the highest point of the road between Salta and Cachi.

The pass is accessible to different types of travelers, especially popular with cyclists and drivers who enjoy winding mountain roads. It is wise to start early and watch the weather, as conditions in the mountains can change quickly.

At the summit stands the Piedra del Molino, a granite grinding stone at 3,348 m. A cart carrying it to Salta broke down here and the owner abandoned it; it now marks the highest point of the road between Salta and Cachi.