Abra Pampa is a high, wind-scoured town on the Puna of Jujuy, at around thirty-five hundred metres, and it marks the point where the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a long, colourful valley, finally opens onto the bare plateau. The land here is flat and brown, with low hills in the distance, and the sky seems very close. Houses of adobe stand in neat rows, and the main street holds a plaza, a church and a few shops. It is a working place, with a market, a bus terminal and a hospital, rather than a tourist stop, and that gives it a certain honest charm.
The area is known for its animals. Herds of llamas and alpacas graze on the plain, and wild vicuñas, the delicate cousins of the llama whose fine wool is among the most expensive in the world, can be seen from the road. A short distance to the east, the Laguna de los Pozuelos, a shallow salt lake protected as a natural monument, is home to flocks of flamingos, and smaller birds such as ducks and coots. The reserve is quiet and remote, and the pink birds against the pale water are a lovely sight.
For riders, Abra Pampa is the finishing point of a ride through the colours of the north-west. The road climbs from the Quebrada through villages like Humahuaca, Uquía and Tilcara, beneath striped mountains of red, yellow and purple, then rises onto the Puna with a sense of leaving the world behind. The tarmac is generally good, but the wind can be fierce, particularly in the afternoon, and the cold is sharp, even in summer. The thin air takes a toll on both rider and machine, so drink water, move slowly and be ready to adjust your carburettor if needed.
Fuel is available in Abra Pampa, which has a station, and La Quiaca on the Bolivian border is the next large town to the north. The best months are April to October, when the skies are clear, though nights are bitterly cold. In summer, the rainy season brings afternoon storms and sometimes flooding.