Uquía Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Uquía is a tiny town of dusty roads and cacti in the dry mountains of Jujuy, Argentina. It feels something like a smaller, quieter version of nearby Humahuaca, and it has hiking trails and an old church.

Buses from Humahuaca arrive many times a day and take 10 or 15 minutes. They cost AR$10 as of November 2017. You can also take the bus from other cities like San Salvador de Jujuy, La Quiaca, and Tilcara. Buses stop at two small -23.303417-65.3550171 bus stops on either side of the highway, with no amenities whatsoever.

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Map of Uquía

• -23.303393-65.3563171 San Francisco de Paula Church. 09:00–12:00, 13:30–17:30. San Francisco de Paula Church was built in the 17th century and declared National Historical Monument in July 1941. The church is small and has famous pictures called "Los ángeles arcabuceros", which were brought from Cusco in the colonial period. These pictures were made by a mixed race artist, but he didn't know what angels looked like, so a priest told him that "the angels" were like them, therefore the man painted angels like soldiers with arquebuses and wings. The altar of the church is handmade and gilded. The front door has a curious lock dating back from 1745. Its key is placed in an inverted form to the current system. It also has a silver key which weighs 700 grams. (updated Nov 2017)
• -23.304294-65.3591622 Cemetery (behind the church). (updated Nov 2017)

• Quebrada de la señorita. A canyon next to Uquia village provides a possibility to explore colorful mountains. Follow Padre Lozano, the street south of the church (to the left of the church as you enter the town). At the cemetery continue straight on the road and later on a dry river bed, and eventually you will get to the wonderful canyon. Go almost to the end for most impressive rock formations. Return the same way. Light conditions make the morning the best time to do this hike. 
• -23.30254-65.362751 Mirador la Cruz. If you instead follow Cap. Uyunis, the street on the other side of the church, you'll get to a hiking trail that leads up a hill with some large crosses on it, a nice spot for viewing the town and the surrounding area. (updated Nov 2017)

Souvenir sellers set up stands in front of the church.

• Humahuaca, a larger town with more going on, is just a few minutes to the north by car or bus
• Tilcara to the south, centrally located for exploring the Quebrada de Humahuaca