Iruya is one of the most remote villages in northern Argentina that you can reach by bus, and the journey is half the reason to come. The road leaves the Quebrada de Humahuaca, climbs to a pass at around 4,000 metres with views towards the Bolivian altiplano, then drops down a sequence of switchbacks into a gorge — three hours on unpaved road from Humahuaca. It is in Salta province but can only be reached from Jujuy.
The village clings to a steep slope above the meeting of two rivers, whitewashed houses and narrow stepped lanes following the contour of the cliff. There is very little to do once you arrive except walk and look, and that is the point. The two-hour walk up the riverbed to San Isidro, a smaller and even more isolated hamlet, is the classic excursion; the water level decides whether it is a stroll or a wade.
Stay overnight. The bus timetable makes a day trip hard, and you would miss the early light on the cliffs, which is when the place is at its best. Easter and the patron-saint festival in early October are when the village fills and comes alive; outside those dates it is very quiet.
Services are limited: a handful of guesthouses, a couple of places to eat, and cash only.