Surrounded by an imposing landscape, it is a magical town that seems to be hanging from the mountain. Like something out of a postcard, Iruya invites to adventure, rest and meditation.

A town hanging from the mountain 

Located 315 km away (5hs 20min) Iruya is the ideal place to experience the feeling of walking hanging from the mountain, as it preserves its narrow, cobbled and steep streets, with adobe and stone houses in the middle of a landscape of great beauty. The town and its surroundings are within the biosphere reserve of the Yungas, protected by Unesco since 2002. In 1995 it was declared a National Historic Site.

Church of Iruya 

The church of San Roque and Nuestra Señora del Rosario was founded around 1.753, it is at the entrance of the town and in front of it the festivities and ritual dances are celebrated. It is the postcard of Iruya and an iconic place, which can not be missed in the town.

Patronal Feast in honor of the Virgin of the Rosary.

It is the most important of the town. On Saturday morning begins the ornamentation of the streets, the ringing of bells and the Angelus. The cachis are promised to the Virgin with the accompaniment of religious images that arrive from the communities of the interior. Then the traditional adoration to the Patroness takes place, while the priest and the people sing the Alleluia. In the afternoon, the community celebration of baptisms, novena and mass takes place, ending the day with the "Luminaria de Víspera de la Fiesta", with fireworks. Almost at midnight the serenade in honor of the Virgin takes place. On Sunday, thousands of faithful and tourists come to the town, starting with the "Salva de Bombas", adoration of the Dawn by the cachis, Rosary, Mass for the Pilgrims and incensation of the images. It is followed by the traditional "Hoisting of the National Flag" by the municipality and the mass, then procession and adoration of the cachis. The following weekend in the "Octave of the Feast" the festivities continue repeating the acts. You can also enjoy the "barter" fair in the tents that are set up on the Iruya river bed and in the town square, where you can buy various products, both natural and manufactured, and taste different foods of the area.

Patronal Feast in honor of San Roque 

It is the feast of the other patron saint of Iruya, the mass is held, then the procession with the images through the streets of the town. After the procession in front of the church, the "cachis" entertain those present with their witticisms and then dance while worshipping the images. Afterwards, a community lunch is held in Bº San Roque, after which the people return to the church, in front of which the "cuarteada" takes place. This is a characteristic dance in which the participants dance in pairs (two men or two women) taking a sheep's half carcass, moving it forward, backward and upward in coordination, letting another couple pass underneath carrying another half carcass. When the erques music ends, each pair separates the half carcasses into quarters by means of strong tugs. In Iruya and for San Roque, the dogs are given a collar made with pieces of different fabrics, which makes them look very colorful and reminds the protection of the saint towards the pets.

Dance of the cachis 

"Los cachis" are men who are members of a kind of sacred ballet that perform the dance in front of the church in honor of the Virgin. These disguised men promise to perform "the sacred dance" for three years. The characters are composed of two knights, a bull, a black man and three couples of different ages who embody the whole town, to the rhythm of erkes (or bugles), boxes, flutes and bells that complete the attire of some of the dancers.

Celebration of the Pachamama and San Ramón 

The first days of August is the traditional feast of the offering to the Pachamama, which consists of giving food and drink, as offerings, to the earth. At the end of this month, the festivity of San Ramón takes place in Las Higueras, a hamlet near Iruya.

Gastronomy of Iruya 

In Iruya, as in all this area, ancestral and typical ingredients are used such as quinoa, broad beans and a variety of Andean potatoes (oca, tuni, churqueña, colorada, runa, among others); in addition, dishes such as green potato stew, quinoa stew and quinoa pie can be tasted.

Flora and fauna 

The mountainous area of northern Salta has a special characteristic, the eastern slopes have abundant vegetation and abundant rivers, and the western slopes are arid and dry. On the latter side is located Iruya, a small town perched on a plateau that advances over a ravine.

Inca Trail Circuit

A beautiful tour along these roads allows you to learn about the ancestral customs and ways of life, with great roots in the pre-Columbian past, of the local history, whose evidence has been recorded in apachetas and ruins of Inca monuments and sanctuaries.

Condor Circuit 

From Iruya, by car, you can access incredible places in terms of immensity and imposing, where these typical specimens of the area are easy to observe flying over the beautiful mountains, almost 4,800 meters above sea level.

San Isidro 

At 8 kilometers from Iruya is this small town that also overcame the heights by being suspended from a ravine. The families that live here subsist on tourism, weaving, handicrafts, regional agriculture and cattle raising. It can be reached by mule, on foot or by 4x4, following the Iruya River.

San Isidro Patron Saint Festival

On May 15 are the festivities for the patron saint of San Isidro Labrador, with celebrations and offerings. In addition, there is a procession with regional instruments.

Trekking to San Isidro

Adventure lovers can, in the midst of a rugged landscape, walk along the Iruya River bed to reach this beautiful spot located 8 km from the town. It takes between two and a half to three hours; the road is not difficult, but it is rocky since it is a river bed.