In the western border of the Yungas forests, in the northern part of the Salta Province, at the exact point where the woods start to melt with the pre-highlands (pre-Puna) pastures at each step, the town of Los Toldos emerges like an apparition, at 1600 metres above sea level.

It is a village framed by the picturesque sierra highlands; with the Mountains Bravo and San José to the west, and the Astilleros, Paraguay and Vallecito sierra highland to the left, a like a tall door to the dense Yunga forests.

By the end of the 18th century, peasants of Spanish descent were slowly populating the region holding the village.

In spite of the great distances separating it from the main towns and cities, Los Toldos is a place worth visiting. Once there, the warmth of its inhabitants turns the travellers into one of them. And they will agree on that few places are so special.

HOW TO GET THERE
In order to get to Los Toldos by land, travellers must first arrive to the city of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán, and from there, through the Ruta Nacional Nº 50 National Route, up to the Aguas Blancas locality, on the border of the Republic of Bolivia.

From this point, and after going through the customs and immigration procedures, visitors must travel up to the town of La Mamora. A spectacular sector of the Pan-American Highway is that linking the cities of Bermejo and Tarija, in Bolivian territory.

From La Maroma, and after fording the Oroseño and Condado Rivers, which join up one kilometre downstream to form the Río Bermejo River, travellers return to Argentina upon the El Condado spot.

From El Condado, a picturesque 15-kilometre mountain hugging road will take travellers up to the Abra de Toldos Pass, where the large Los Toldos high altitude valley begins.

Another way of arriving is by plane, hiring the services offered at the city of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Always keep both your personal documents and the vehicle's registration papers in order.
• Remember that travelling through the Republic of Bolivia's territory is a must.
• The last gas stations selling Argentinean produced fuel are in the city of San Ramón de la Nueva Orán.
• If you wish to visit the Parque Nacional Baritú National Park, go to the information office they keep at Los Toldos to register and collect information.
• Go to the Los Toldos Municipality to register and collect more information.
• Order in advance if you want to taste typical dishes, rent horses or hire the services of local guides.
• During the southern hemisphere summer, there are heavy rainfalls and fording the rivers is impossible. Therefore, travellers must use the cable car or "roldana", available at the Alarache spot, about six kilometres before arriving at La Maroma.
• Consider the option of visiting the historic and picturesque town of Tarija, 90 kilometres away from La Maroma.