Tilcara

Tilcara is a village of the Département of Tilcara in the province Argentine of Jujuy, in the center of the Quebrada de Humahuaca at an altitude of 2461 Mr. It counted in 2001 a population of 2089 inhabitants (INDEC, 2001).

The origin of the name of the village is dubious, but it could come from the word meaning " Filante" star; in Quechua. The small city attracts many tourists what generated a flourishing hotel activity.

Tilcara has a railway station which belongs to the FCGMB or Railroad General Manual Belgrano, but the way is in bad condition, and there is no valid service neither side passengers nor side loadings. Currently the Kirschner administration seems decided to cure that.

Curiosities

There is in Tilcara a remarkable fortress built by the Indians Tilcaras, the Pucará de Tilcara. There is a church built in 1797 but only inaugurated in 1865. One can visit the botanical garden, with his large variety of medicinal and aromatic herbs as well as the Museo Regional of Pintura Jose A. Terry . Not far from the city one will discover the imposing water fall of the Río Huasamayo, one of the affluents of the Río Grande of Jujuy. it is the Garganta del Diablo (Throat of the French devil).

Tourism

Tilcara can be selected as bases to visit the Quebrada de Humahuaca because it has a good infrastructure of lodging: camp-sites, pensions, hotels, and restaurants. The city is easy to reach because it is located on the way of the trunk road 9, which connects, of north at the south, the Bolivia with San Salvador de Jujuy. It is not moreover not very distant from Purmamarca (to 22 km) where the news trunk road emerges 52 in connection with the north of the Chile

To also see the museum of archeology Dr. Eduardo Casanova , which has a beautiful collection of elements of the cultures of Peru (of which mummies), of Tiahuanaco, and others, which justify its visit.