On the 72 kilometres mark of the Ruta Nacional Nº 9 National Route, at 2350 m.a.s.l. between the villages of Purmamarca and Tilcara, you will find a colonial house that was built by Gregorio Álvarez Prado in the year 1772. It was an obligatory stopover for outriders, by decree of the Spanish Visitador Overseer Alonso Carrió de la Vandera, on the road that connected Alto Perú with the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata.

From 1810 onwards, it becomes a military outpost and the general headquarters of the Independence Army Vanguard and became the scene of many battles.

Before the post system was set up, each traveller or postal rider had to take with him a troop of horses according to his daily needs.
These mails became known as "Propios" or Privates, since a trader or authority sent them off and the person or authority using them during each trip carried their total cost.

In spite of the rules in place regarding these posts demanded certain minimum comforts in place, the services provided were generally of a precarious nature. According to the writings of many travellers during these times, in many of them the traveller had to find his own firewood; thus many of them preferred to sleep under the shelter of the wagons to keep the insects out.

Other posts became real inns or had a small general store or in other cases it was simply the house of the outpost master. No traveller was allowed to bring his own horses, obliged to pick new ones at every outpost on the road, paying the duties according to a fixed price.

ATTRACTIONS

The Museo Posta de Hornillos Outpost Museum
It was set up as a History Museum on December 3rd, 1979. It holds interesting artefacts from colonial times, such as the millstone. There are 12 exhibit halls showing parts and pieces of a post that was also a family home and headquarters of the Northern Army.

La Posta de Hornillos holds a total of 19 rooms, bordering three successive courtyards, as well as other small spaces. It walls are made of whitewashed plaster covered adobe; the roof is of mud covered reeds with wooden roof spars. It has recently been restored, respecting its best characteristics and traditional building techniques.

In the first area there is a general panorama exhibit of the origin of the post system and their set up, trying to hypothetically recreate the aspect they may have had during their heyday. In the second area there is an exhibit of the weaponry and the wars in Jujuy; with a special reference to the area of the Quebrada de Humahuaca Gorge. The third area shows samples of the different modes of transport by road at the time. They all try to show the evolution that has taken place from pre Hispanic times to the present.
It is located two kilometres south of Maimará.
Visiting hours are from Wednesdays through Mondays from 8:30 AM till 6:00 PM.
It can be visited during the whole year.
There are camping facilities in place.

The Hornillos Archaeological Site
It is a place of difficult access showing some defensive walls bordering the access path. The ruins cover the whole small plain and some of the ruins overflow into the small side ravines. An ample use has been made of slate in its building. It is located a league south of Maimará, on top of a hill. It is difficult to get there unless you trek or horse back ride there.