(By Paola Soldano) Tolar Grande, in the heart of the Salta Puna, stands as a magical place, surrounded by salt flats, lagoons, mountains and volcanoes, with amazing and fantastic landscapes that, due to their reddish tones, resemble Mars, and Among its main attractions are the Cono de Arita, the Ojos de Mar and the Llullaillaco volcano.
“Upon arriving in Tolar Grande, one finds a magical place, in the heart of the Puna, with a unique landscape that gives the sensation of being on Mars,” the mayor of that town in Salta, Sergio Villanueva, explained to Télam. He added that, in addition, it is a place where one “can be charged with important energy.”
To get there from Salta, it is necessary to take National Route 51, cross the town of Campo Quijano and the imposing Quebrada del Toro, until reaching San Antonio de los Cobres, and then take Provincial Route 27, which leads to Tolar Grande after crossing the Salar de Pocitos and the red Devil’s Desert.
It is a small town of approximately 300 inhabitants, located next to the tracks of the C14 branch of the General Belgrano railway, in an eminently mining area of the Los Andes department of Salta, 357 kilometers from the provincial capital and about 3,500 meters above sea level. from sea.
“Here we have long circuits and short circuits to do. Among the long ones, the Cono de Arita stands out, which is the most visited and world-renowned and is located in the Salar de Arizaro, the third largest in the world,” said the mayor.
The Cono de Arita is a natural pyramid located about 80 kilometers from Tolar Grande, in a desert area that is characterized not only by metal, onyx, marble and salt mining, among other minerals, but also by its particular natural beauty. and its fantastic Puno environment of tranquility and silence.
In addition to being a popular spot for tourists and nature lovers who come to Salta, it is believed that this mysterious formation was a sacred place for pre-Inca civilizations.
This almost perfect conical geoform emerges as an island in the imposing salt flat, which has an area of 1,600 square kilometers and is located at 3,460 meters above sea level.
The cone, which is formed by salt and black lava and whose name in Aymara means sharp, sharp, constitutes a striking landscape, with an elevation of about 150 meters, and its summit is about 3,689 meters above sea level.
Some believe that its origin is related to a small volcano that did not erupt, but according to numerous publications by the renowned Salta geologist Ricardo Alonso, the hypotheses in this regard are different.
The mayor also cited other attractions in the area, such as La Casualidad, which is the camp of “a sulfur mine abandoned at the time of the process and which has many visitors”, and the Llullaillaco volcano, where in 1999 some 6,700 people were found. meters, the bodies of three children cryopreserved for more than 500 years.
Among the short circuits, Villanueva mentioned points such as El Arenal and Ojos de Mar, which “is three kilometers from the town”, and recalled that “stromatolites, which are living organisms that generate oxygen and are also a great attraction” were found there. .
Ojos de Mar is barely three kilometers from the town, in a protected provincial area, also in the Salar de Arizaro.
They are small and deep lagoons of volcanic origin, with water four times saltier than the oceanic water and a color between turquoise and green, which transforms the site into an oasis in the middle of the rugged Puna.
In addition to the tourist interest that they arouse, these lagoons attract scientists from all over the world, due to the unique ecosystem that they constitute, in which in 2009 the Argentine biologist and Conicet researcher, María Eugenia Farías, found living stromatolites.
The discovery constitutes a scientific treasure, and consists of microorganisms capable of carrying out photosynthesis and producing oxygen, which appeared 3,500 million years ago, giving rise to life on earth.
Villanueva also highlighted other points, such as the Laguna de Santa María, where you can see ducks, coots and pink flamingos; the seven curves; and the Macón hill, considered a sacred site.
“What characterizes Tolar Grande, mainly, is the quality and warmth of its people, who always expect the best for those who visit us, in addition to its landscapes and customs,” Villanueva said.
Then, he stressed that “the municipality and the community are working, together with the provincial and national governments, to rebuild tourism in the town, which after the abrupt and sudden arrival of mining, mainly due to large-volume projects linked to lithium, practically took over all the lodgings”.
The objective is “to plan from now to 35 years, promoting what is astronomical and scientific tourism, once we have all the infrastructure that is already being provided to the area, in addition to high mountain tourism,” he said.
In addition, he recommended that tourists and visitors who want to reach Tolar Grande “make the corresponding reservations to travel safely and calmly,” and assured that reaching this place in the highlands becomes “a fascinating adventure.”
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
