Santa Catalina Department: Culture and Landscape

Santa Catalina Department offers several distinct starting points for a trip: the town of Santa Catalina, with its chapel and museum; Casira, with its pottery; and the Laguna de los Pozuelos Natural Monument, which extends across three departments. When planning, it is worth keeping these town and landscape themes separate and choosing accommodation based on more than just the name of the department.

Cultural highlights in Santa Catalina and Casira

In Santa Catalina stands the Capilla de Santa Catalina de Alejandría, which dates back to the 17th century. The town’s cultural profile also includes the Museo Regional Epifanio Saravia, considered one of Santa Catalina’s most important attractions. Together, they offer different points of interest: the historic chapel and a museum with a regional focus. Both can help you define the cultural focus of your trip more precisely.

In Casira, pottery is a distinct cultural highlight. It is considered a body of traditional knowledge passed on by master craftspeople in the community, and is both a means of work and a tradition. Pottery therefore encompasses both practical craftsmanship and knowledge passed down within the community. Casira pottery bears a seal of origin certifying its quality and authenticity. If you would like to include craft traditions in your travel plans, Casira offers a different focus from the chapel and museum in Santa Catalina.

Landscape and getting there

The Laguna de los Pozuelos Natural Monument extends across the departments of Rinconada, Santa Catalina, and Yavi. It should therefore be understood as a landscape spanning several departmental boundaries; its name does not refer only to a single place in Santa Catalina. This geographic context complements the towns’ cultural highlights with another way of exploring the department.

Santa Catalina can be reached via National Route No. 9 to La Quiaca, followed by Provincial Route No. 65. This sequence of roads is relevant when planning your journey. Road conditions may change, so check them locally before setting out.

First consider whether Santa Catalina, Casira, or Laguna de los Pozuelos is the main focus of your trip. When checking a specific hotel offer, compare the location listed there with this focus. This will help you avoid basing your search solely on the name of the department.

Jujuy as a broader travel region

The broader destination of Jujuy offers additional, distinct cultural and landscape highlights. The Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the Inca Trail and forms a 155-kilometer north–south corridor with hundreds of archaeological and architectural sites. The Tren Solar de la Quebrada lets you travel through the Quebrada aboard Latin America’s first solar-powered tourist train. Both examples belong to the wider Jujuy region.

Jujuy’s Parque Nacional Calilegua also preserves more than 76,000 hectares of the Yungas ecoregion. The Aguas Negras recreation area offers camping for day and overnight stays, as well as walking trails of varying difficulty. Another landscape highlight is the Salinas Grandes: they cover 525 square kilometers in Jujuy, lie at an average elevation of 3,350 meters, and are among the three largest salt flats in the world. These regional examples offer additional points of reference if your travel plans extend beyond Santa Catalina Department.

Discover more destinations: Santa Catalina, Yavi, Santa Bárbara Department, Humahuaca Department, Palpalá, Ledesma Department, El Carmen Department, Tumbaya Department.

View the broader travel guide: Jujuy.