Salta is the historic capital of one of Argentina’s most beautiful and probably least explored provinces. It was founded in 1582 by Governor Hernando de Lerma of Tucuman. But it was Diego de Almagro who led the first Spanish expedition into the north of what is now Argentina from Cuzco in Peru. Soon after, trade routes were established in order to provide agricultural products to the silver mines of southern Bolivia and northern Chile.

Salta became the vice royalty’s chief administrative centre and in 1776 it was made capital of the region which encompassed the cities of Jujuy and Santiago del Estero as well as southern parts of what is now Bolivia. At the beginning of the 19th century, the city became the headquarters of the Ejercitos del Norte (northern armies). Susequently, General Martín Miguel de Güemes positioned his anti-royalist forces there for several years as his army, clad in their infamous blood-red ponchos, fought for independence. However, after Buenos Aires became capital of the Argentine and started to flourish Salta went very much into decline and very few immigrants settled there, which is why it has been able to retain much of its indigenous culture.