Self-Launched Cycle Chile & Argentina: Atacama to Salta

Fly into Calama (CJC), the nearest airport to San Pedro de Atacama. Transfer buses run regularly from Calama airport to San Pedro (~1.5 hrs, ~£5 via Buses Frontera or shared taxi ~£10). Check into your hostel, explore the compact adobe town centre, grab dinner at one of the many affordable local restaurants on Calle Caracoles. Acclimatise — you're at 2,400m.

🚌Shared bus from Calama airport to San Pedro (~£5)

🛏Hostel Mamatierra or Casa de Don Tomas guesthouse (~£18-25/night)

• →Arrive Calama airport and take shared bus transfer to San Pedro de Atacama (~£5)
• →Explore San Pedro town centre on foot
• →Arrange mountain bike hire for the coming days — try Rancho Cactus or Volcano Biking (full-day hire ~£15-20/day; book 2–3 days upfront for a discount)
• →Dinner on Calle Caracoles (~£6-10)

Collect your hired mountain bike and set off on a 43km acclimatisation ride west of San Pedro to Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon). The route follows Ruta 98 — largely flat with a few gentle rises. The lunar landscape of red rock formations, salt caves and sand dunes is extraordinary. Entry to Valle de la Luna costs ~£5. Optional extension to El Mirador de Ckari adds ~10km. Return to San Pedro for the night.

🚌Mountain bike hire (~£18/day)

🛏Hostel Mamatierra or Casa de Don Tomas guesthouse (~£18-25/night)

• →Cycle San Pedro → Valle de la Luna (~20km, paved + gravel)
• →Explore Valle de la Luna's salt caves, dunes and rock formations (entry ~£5)
• →Optional extension ride to El Mirador de Ckari (~10km extra)
• →Return cycle to San Pedro (~20km)

Rise at 4am to join a shared sunrise tour to El Tatio Geysers (4,000m), the largest geyser field in the Southern Hemisphere. Book via a local agency in San Pedro (~£20-25 including transport and breakfast on-site). Return to San Pedro by midday. In the afternoon, take your hired bike for the short 23km ride south past Devil's Throat canyon to San Isidro's Chapel, a beautiful adobe church. Return before dark.

🚌Shared tour van to El Tatio (~£20-25 incl.); mountain bike for afternoon (~included in multi-day hire)

🛏Hostel Mamatierra or Casa de Don Tomas guesthouse (~£18-25/night)

• →Pre-dawn shared tour to El Tatio Geysers with sunrise breakfast (book locally ~£20-25)
• →Stop in Machuca village (20 adobe houses, llamas) en route back
• →Afternoon bike ride south to San Isidro's Chapel via Devil's Throat canyon (~23km round trip)

Take the early public bus from San Pedro de Atacama towards Jujuy, Argentina — this crosses the Jama Pass (4,275m) and stops at the border. Buses depart ~7-8am from San Pedro terminal; Andesmar and Flecha Bus operate this route (~£15-20). At the town of Jama on the Argentine side, unload your bike (check bus luggage policy or use a remise/shared taxi for bike transport) and ride 35km alongside the stunning Jama salt flats. Arrange a remise or local bus onward transfer to Susques (~1.5 hrs, ~£10 shared). Stay overnight in Susques.

🚌International bus San Pedro → Jama (~£15-20); remise to Susques (~£10 shared)

🛏Hospedaje in Susques (~£15-20/night, basic but comfortable)

• →Early morning bus San Pedro → Jama via Jama Pass border crossing (~£15-20)
• →Border immigration at Paso Jama — have passport and Chilean/Argentine forms ready
• →Cycle 35km alongside the Jama salt flats on quiet Ruta 52
• →Remise shared taxi Jama → Susques (~£8-12 shared)

Arrange a local remise from Susques to Cerro Negro/Salinas Grandes (~1 hr, ~£10-15 shared). Cycle across the vast Salinas Grandes saltpan — one of the most surreal landscapes in South America. Stop for a picnic lunch (buy supplies the night before in Susques). From the Abra de Potrerillos viewpoint (4,170m), enjoy a thrilling 71km mostly-downhill ride with sweeping views of rainbow-coloured hills into Purmamarca village. Don't miss the optional loop to admire the famous Cerro de Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colours) at dusk.

🚌Remise Susques → Salinas Grandes (~£10-15 shared); bike for downhill stage

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Purmamarca (~£18-25/night) — try El Pequeño Ind or Hostel Los Morteros

• →Remise Susques → Salinas Grandes/Cerro Negro (~£10-15 shared)
• →Cycle across Salinas Grandes salt flats and enjoy picnic lunch
• →Ride downhill from Abra de Potrerillos viewpoint to Purmamarca (~71km total with transfers)
• →Evening stroll to the Hill of Seven Colours in Purmamarca (free)

Take a local bus from Purmamarca to Jujuy (~1 hr, ~£2), then a connecting bus south to El Carmen (~45 min, ~£2). From El Carmen, cycle 45km south on the spectacular RN9, a serpentine paved road through lush subtropical rainforest (Yungas) towards Salta. Stop for a picnic near La Caldera. At the end of the ride, take a local bus or remise the final stretch into Salta city (~£5). Check into your accommodation in Salta — your base for the next two nights.

🚌Bus Purmamarca–Jujuy–El Carmen (~£4); bike ride; remise into Salta (~£5)

🛏Hostel Backpackers Salta or Hotel del Virrey (~£20-30/night)

• →Bus Purmamarca → Jujuy → El Carmen (~£4 total)
• →Cycle 45km through Yungas rainforest on RN9 — stunning serpentine road
• →Picnic lunch near La Caldera (buy supplies in El Carmen)
• →Bus or remise into Salta city (~£5)

Spend the day exploring 'Salta la Linda' (Salta the Beautiful). Must-sees include the MAAM (Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, ~£5) displaying the famous Llullaillaco mummies, the pink Cathedral on Plaza 9 de Julio, and the cable car up Cerro San Bernardo (£5 return). Salta has excellent restaurants and empanada spots — try the Mercado Central for cheap local lunch. Optionally book a birdwatching trip to Finca Cielo Verde through a local tour agency (~£30-40).

🚌On foot and cable car within Salta

🛏Hostel Backpackers Salta or Hotel del Virrey (~£20-30/night)

• →Visit MAAM Museum — Llullaillaco Inca mummies (entry ~£5)
• →Cable car up Cerro San Bernardo for panoramic city views (~£5 return)
• →Explore Plaza 9 de Julio and the colonial Cathedral (free)
• →Lunch at Mercado Central (~£4-6)
• →Optional birdwatching trip to Finca Cielo Verde (~£30-40 via local agency)

Take a local bus or shared remise from Salta west towards Los Artesanos viewpoint via Ruta 33 (~3 hrs, ~£8-12). Cycle 58km up the famous Cuesta del Obispo (Bishop's Hill), a dramatic mountain pass, with viewpoints at Piedra del Molino and Los Ojos del Cóndor — look out for soaring Andean condors. Descend into the high-altitude desert of Los Cardones National Park (giant cacti, no entry fee). Finish in the pretty white-washed colonial village of Cachi for the night.

🚌Remise Salta → Los Artesanos (~£10 shared); bike for cycling stage

🛏Hospedaje or guesthouse in Cachi (~£18-25/night) — try ACA Cachi or Hosteria Cachi

• →Shared remise or bus Salta → Los Artesanos viewpoint (~£8-12)
• →Cycle 58km up Cuesta del Obispo mountain pass
• →Spot Andean condors at Los Ojos del Cóndor viewpoint
• →Cycle through Los Cardones National Park cactus forests (free entry)
• →Arrive and explore Cachi village — visit the archaeological museum (~£2)

Set off south on the legendary Ruta Nacional 40 — the Artisans' Route — a gently undulating gravel and dirt road through otherworldly Andean scenery. Stop at El Colte to watch loom weavers displaying traditional textiles by the roadside. Continue 52km to Molinos, a sleepy village with an 18th-century church and hacienda. Stay in Molinos overnight — a truly off-the-beaten-track experience.

🚌Mountain bike for full cycling stage

🛏Hospedaje or basic guesthouse in Molinos (~£15-20/night) — Hacienda de Molinos offers some budget rooms; book ahead

• →Cycle 52km south on Ruta 40 from Cachi to Molinos (gravel/dirt road)
• →Stop at El Colte to watch and buy from traditional loom weavers
• →Visit the 17th-century San Pedro Nolasco Church in Molinos (free)
• →Explore Molinos village at leisure

Arrange a remise transfer (2 hrs, ~£10-15 shared) along the dramatic Quebrada de las Flechas gorge to your starting point near Payogastilla. Cycle 45km south on gravel and tarmac through the scenic Calchaquí Valley, stopping in San Carlos — the second-oldest village in Argentina. Arrive in Cafayate, Argentina's second most important wine region, set among vineyards. Treat yourself to a bodega visit and wine tasting (~£8-12) — Bodega El Esteco or El Porvenir are excellent choices.

🚌Remise Molinos → Payogastilla (~£12 shared); bike for cycling stage

🛏Hostel Ruta 40 Cafayate or El Hospedaje (~£18-25/night)

• →Remise transfer Molinos → Payogastilla along Quebrada de las Flechas (~£10-15 shared)
• →Cycle 45km through Calchaquí Valley on Ruta 40
• →Stop and explore San Carlos — colonial church and market
• →Arrive Cafayate — wine tasting at a local bodega (~£8-12)

Cycle north 56km from Cafayate to the pre-Columbian ruined city of Quilmes — the largest indigenous urban settlement in Argentina, set dramatically against the Calchaquí mountains. Entry ~£3. Take a self-guided tour of the extensive ruins with an information leaflet (available at the ticket office). Return by local bus or remise (~1 hr, ~£5-8) to Cafayate in the afternoon. Spend the evening enjoying more of Cafayate's excellent wine and empanadas.

🚌Bike for outward cycling stage; remise return (~£6 shared)

🛏Hostel Ruta 40 Cafayate or El Hospedaje (~£18-25/night)

• →Cycle north 56km from Cafayate to Quilmes ruins (Ruta 40)
• →Self-guided tour of Quilmes archaeological site (entry ~£3)
• →Return bus or remise Quilmes → Cafayate (~£5-8)
• →Evening bodega dinner in Cafayate (~£10-15)

After a short remise transfer from Cafayate to your start point, begin the final epic cycling day: 62km north along the Quebrada de las Conchas (Conchas River valley). The route passes extraordinary rock formations — El Anfiteatro, La Garganta del Diablo and El Sapo — on a paved road with minimal traffic. Finish at the atmospheric abandoned railway station of Alemania. From Alemania, take a remise or pre-arranged bus transfer (~2 hrs, ~£8-15) back to Salta for your final night.

🚌Remise to start point (~£5); bike for cycling stage; remise/bus Alemania → Salta (~£10-15)

🛏Hostel Backpackers Salta or Hotel del Virrey (~£20-30/night)

• →Short remise to cycle start point near Cafayate
• →Cycle 62km through Quebrada de las Conchas gorge on paved Ruta 68
• →Stop at El Anfiteatro, La Garganta del Diablo and El Sapo rock formations
• →Finish at abandoned Alemania railway station — explore and photograph
• →Remise or bus transfer Alemania → Salta (~£8-15, ~2 hrs)

Your adventure ends in Salta. Salta's Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport (SLA) has connections to Buenos Aires (from ~£40 with Aerolíneas Argentinas or JetSMART) and onwards. Alternatively, long-distance buses to Buenos Aires (~20 hrs, ~£20-30) depart from Salta terminal. If time allows, grab a final breakfast at Café del Tiempo on Plaza 9 de Julio and pick up local craft souvenirs at the artisan market.

🚌Taxi or remise to Salta airport (~£8-10)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast in Salta café
• →Browse the artisan market near Plaza 9 de Julio
• →Transfer to Salta airport (SLA) or bus terminal for onward journey