Argentina: Ruta Nacional 51 – Road to the Clouds

Another super spectacular route in Argentina is RN 51, descending from the Andes toward Salta. The hardtop road goes from Reserva Provincial Los Andes near the Chilean border to the altiplano town of San Antonio de Los Cobres and then very steeply down to Salto along a spectacular river canyon, dropping nearly 10,000 feet in elevation. A railroad run parallel and has some spectacular bridges and viaducts – in fact it is one of the most famous historic railroad rides in Argentina – railway to the clouds. The landscape gradually changes from absolute desert to cardon cacti forests to green jungle.
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