Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the foot of the stairway behind the Monumento a Güemes, on the eastern edge of central Salta, the stone steps zigzag up the wooded face of Cerro San Bernardo. Fourteen Stations of the Cross mark the way, with benches and glimpses of the city through the trees. At the top, about 285 m above the city, gardens, a café and viewpoints look over Salta's grid of streets to the hills of the Lerma valley. Come down the same way, or by cable car if you prefer to save your knees.
It is 2.6 km there and back with 263 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: about 1,070 steps, steep but short.
The municipality opens the stairway every day from 7:00 to 20:00, and entry is free. Go early on hot days and carry water; the steps are slippery after summer storms.
The cable car's lower station is in the city park nearby, and a road also climbs to the top, so the summit can be busy at weekends and on holidays.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- About 1,070 steps climb some 285 m from the city to the top, at 1,454 m
- The hill is a municipal nature reserve, rich in birds
- Fourteen Stations of the Cross line the stairway
- Salta was founded in 1582 at the foot of the hill
Getting there
Start: Foot of the San Bernardo steps. -24.78670, -65.39812
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Salta and Jujuy: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.