Hiking towards pinkish white spires called Las Señoritas
Highlights
A short guided hike in La Quebrada de Las Señoritas park to see the pinkish and white sandstone spired and red canyon.
Time of Visit: January 2024
Duration of Visit: Day trip from Tilcara
Description
Las Señoritas is another popular tourist destination in the Jujuy Province of Northern Argentina. Las Señoritas refer to a group of colorful pinkish white spires on the base of a mountain near the community of Oquia. The spires were named based on a myth about three young women who hid in the mountains to escape from the Conquistadores.
The spires are located within a park owned by the community of Oquia Here we describe our exploration of Las Señoritas so that you have an idea of what to expect should you decide to include it in your Jujuy Province explorations.
Getting to Oquia
Oquia is a small community just off the west side of Ruta 9. It is located about 15 minutes drive south of Humuhuaca. You would not miss it if you are driving northwards as there is a huge sign of the community’s name off the left side of the road.
San Jose bus that goes between Humuhuaca and Tilcara goes by this little community.
Getting to Las Señoritas
Las Señoritas is accurately shown on GoogleMaps. It is about two or so kilometers from the highways but will take you about 10 minutes to drive because it is unpaved. The park is west of the community towards the mountains.
GoogleMaps driving directions from Ruta 9 ignores the community’s one way streets. You just need to pay attention to the blue arrows on the walls that show the traffic direction.
It is a long uphill walk if you do not have a car.
Park Hours
The park is open at 8 AM and closes around 6 PM. However, there is an earlier closing time if you want to do one of the two hikes in the park. See photo below.
Park Fees
It costs 800 ARS per person to enter the park in 2024. The entry fee will only get you to the Mirador de la Luna which provides a commanding view of the red rock sandstones in the park. You will not be able to view the Las Señoritas spires from the mirador.
You will need to hire a guide to take you inside the park where you will be able to see the Las Señoritas. There are two destinations within the park. One is the Cueva de las Señoritas (cave of the three young ladies) which also passes by the Cerro de las Tres Señoritas (hill of the three young ladies). The other destination is the Anfiteatro or amphitheater which goes through the Canon de las 13 Vueltas (canyon of 13 curves). The canyon is flanked by red sandstones on both sides.
Guided Hikes
You can either do the complete circuit which goes to both destinations or do the short circuit which only goes to the amphitheater. The complete circuit costs 5,000 ARS per person (the photo shows 4,900 ARS but you will be asked to pay 5,000 ARS). The short circuit costs half of the complete circuit.
The guided hikes are led by one guide. The guide may take two people or it may wait for more people. We were at the park at 8:35 AM and were the first to arrive. The guides were already there waiting. However, we had to wait for more people to sign up for the complete circuit before we started the hike about 30 minutes later.
Complete Circuit
The hike takes at least 3 hours to complete. Our guide, Daniel, took a very slow pace and we finished the hike in 3:40. He took us first to the cave which passed by pinkish white sandstones, then to the amphitheater. The complete circuit has a total distance of about 5 kilometers with an elevation gain of roughly 200 meters. The highest point is at the cave which is about 3,100 meters above msl (mean sea level).
The complete circuit would just pass by the Las Señoritas. People are not allowed to trample on the delicate rock formation.
The cave is actually a narrow slot canyon that is not open at the top. This slot canyon continues to go up the mountain and is narrow in a lot of spots. We went approximately 100 meters in and turned back upon reaching a vertical wall that is about six meters (20 feet) high. Daniel asked us to leave our backpacks at the mouth of the cave for ease of maneuverability within the slot canyon.
Short Circuit
The Canon de los 13 Vueltas is just over half a kilometer which ends at the amphitheater. The red sandstone walls can be up to 30 or so meters high. There can be shade in the canyon even at midday. The canyon is open and wide. You will be walking on loose sand or sandstone most of the time.
Best Time to Go
Winter would be the best as the temperature would be more comfortable and the chances of getting rained out would be low. The Cueva de las Señoritas and the Canon de los 13 Vueltas would be dangerous if there was rain as the water would funnel through these water passages.
We went in early January which was early in the summer. It was also the rainy season but it did not rain on us during our six night stay between Tilcara and Pumumarca. It was warm to hot even when we started our hike at 9 AM. The only thing that made it bearable was that the area is a high desert so humidity was low.
Our guide said that it is best to see the Las Señoritas in the morning. The colorful spires are at the east face of the mountain so its colors would come to life when hit by the morning sun. Its colors would be dull in the afternoon when the sun is behind the mountain or shrouded by clouds which seem to form in the afternoons.
The canyon walls of the Canon de los 13 Vueltas would be glowing red at midday when the sun is directly over it. It will be dull in the late afternoon as well when the sun is behind the mountain.
Summary
Las Señoritas is another popular destination in the Jujuy Province of Northern Argentina. Las Señoritas are colorful pinkish white spires that are within a park that is run by the community of Oquia.
The park also has many red sandstone hills (cerros) and canyons. There are two hiking destinations within the park. One is the Cueva de las Tres Señoritas and the other is the Amfiteatro. You will need a guide to be able to hike to these destinations. The guide fee is minimal as well as the park entrance fee.
The park reminds us of our home state of Arizona and our favorite place in all of the US which is southwestern Utah. We almost felt like we were back home. If you have half a day to spend, Las Señoritas would be a good place to do it.