Pyramids & Salt Flats: Tolar Grande - Cono de Arita - Salar de Antofalla, Tolar Grande

In northwestern Argentina, you'll find some of the most incredible high-altitude desert landscapes anywhere on earth. The region around Salta Province is home to painted mountains, expansive salt flats, and otherworldly rock formations. This excursion begins early in the morning with a drive in a 4x4 across portions of the 1,500-square-km Salar de Arizaro salt flat on an excursion to the village of Tolar Grande. Nearby is one incredible geological formation: the Cono de Arita, a volcanic pyramid that rises from the middle of the plain. It's a stunning sight unlike anything outside of the pyramids of Egypt.

The drive continues through Campo Amarillo to the Salar de Antofalla, a large salt flat that lies at an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,483 feet). Adjacent to the salt flat is the isolated town of Antofalla, home to only about 40 people. It's a bit of an oasis, as Antofalla is situated in the middle of the arid desert and boasts a small patch of pastureland and a few willows and poplar trees. The tour includes an overnight stay here with a local family.