Argentina - Salinas Grandes (Jujuy)

Salinas Grandes is a salt plain with a surface of approximately 220 km2 on the border of the provinces of Jujuy and Salta in northwest Argentina. The salar lies at an elevation of about 3.500 meters above sea level.

The origin of Salinas Grandes dates from an extended period of time between 5 and 10 million years ago, when the basin was covered with water with a large amount of salts coming from volcanic activity. The gradual evaporation of such continental saline waters gave rise to this salt having a crust of salt up to 0,5 meters thick.

During our visit we saw that salt was still being extracted. Old rusty trucks drove across the plain to bring the extracted salt to a central location. In a kind of settlement with a house of salt blocks, the white and shiny salt was packed in bags by hand under a burning sun !!