Tilcara sits at about 2,400 metres in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the long, colourful gorge in Jujuy province that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The town is a small place of low adobe houses and cobbled streets, with a plaza, a church with a white bell tower and a scattering of craft shops and cafes, and it is surrounded by hills striped in red, ochre, pink and green. The air is dry and sharp, the sun is strong, and the sky is a deep, dark blue at midday.
Above the town stands the Pucará de Tilcara, a pre-Inca fortress built on a hill commanding the valley. The people who lived here, called the Tilcara, farmed the terraces and defended themselves from this site, and later the Incas took control. The ruins have been partly reconstructed, and from the top, the view up and down the valley is wide, with the river braided across a gravel bed and fields of maize and quinoa below. A cactus garden grows on the slope, with tall cardones that are hundreds of years old.
This is an old trading route, which was used for thousands of years by llama caravans carrying goods between the Andean highlands and the lowlands. Later, the Spanish used it to move silver from Potosí, and it was also an important route in the wars of independence. The cultural mix is rich, with indigenous Andean traditions mixed with Catholic ones, and the Carnival, which takes place in February or March, is celebrated with music, dance, flour and water. A figure called the devil is dug up from the ground to begin the festivities.
Riding through the quebrada on Route 9 is a pleasure. The road is paved, with good surfaces and long, open bends, and traffic is moderate, although trucks and buses can be slow. The effect of altitude on both rider and machine should not be underestimated, as the engine will lose power and you may feel breathless. Mornings are cold, with frost in winter, but midday can be hot. Take sun protection, water and warm clothes for the evenings.
Food is a pleasure, with llama steak, locro, tamales and empanadas, washed down with a cup of coca tea, which helps with the altitude. Tilcara has fuel, ATMs and plenty of places to eat, which makes it a comfortable base. The nearby villages of Maimará, known for its Painter's Palette hill, and Purmamarca, with its Hill of Seven Colours, are easy to reach.