The city of San Miguel de Tucumán is the capital of the province. It is an active commercial and industrial center, situated 1,312 km (820 miles) away from Buenos Aires. It has an important National University and an intense nightlife. In the downtown area, the so-called 'Casa de Tucumán' (Tucumán Household) is worth a visit. It was the setting for the General Congress that declared the National Independence on July 9th 1816. Every night a light and sound show is offered. It explains the most important events related to this important stage of the Argentine history that took place within the house.

Some other important buildings stand out such as: the Cathedral of San Francisco, opposite to Plaza Independencia (Independence Square); the Iglesia de la Merced (Church of the Mercy) and Bishop Colombres' House, where there is a grinding mill and cauldrons that are relics of the first sugar mill that worked in the area at the beginning of the XIX century. In spite of its colonial heritage, San Miguel de Tucumán is a modern city, which leads a Buenos Aires-like lifestyle, quite different to those of the other cities of the Northwest.

Villa Nogués, 28 km (17 miles) away from the city, is a charming village settled on the slope of San Javier Hill. Temperature here is about 10º C lower than in the city, that's why this village, as well as San Javier, has been chosen by many well-off families of the city to settle their summer residences. The place is a kind of natural balcony overlooking an area of sugar mills, sugar cane plantations and the city, with its beautiful surroundings.

Leaving Tucumán, northbound, the winding road goes along the Quebrada de los Sosa(Sosas' River Gorge), where the river runs deep bellow. It is really outstanding its dense tropical forest, quite weird at this latitude. Some kilometers after the gorge has been left beyond, the village of Tafí del Valle appears in the middle of a green transversal valley that spreads at 2,000 m (6,660 feet) above sea level, between the Aconquija Range to the south and the Calchaquí Mounts to the north. The village, located only 107 km (67 miles) from Tucumán, has became a place cherished by wealthy families to built their country houses, to get away from town during the hot days of summer season.

Though, before reaching the village, the Parque Los Menhires(Dolmens Park) at El Mollar is worth a visit. The park gathers dozens of monolithic stone sculptures, up to 3-meter high, which have been found there and in other spots in the Northwest. Also, before reaching Tafí del Valle, the huge man-made lake of La Angostura Dam is glimpsed from the road. The village offers good tourist infrastructure so it might be nice to spend a night there.

Going on northward, the road climbs up to its highest at Abra del Infiernillo, 3,000 m (9,990 feet) above sea level. At this point, the landscape changes dramatically once more, the green valleys and curved fertile hills are left beyond to be suddenly submersed in a highland desert. The next town is Amaicha del Valle, where it is possible to visit the Pachamama Museum (Museum of the Mother Earth), which exhibits aborigine assets. At this spot, the road offers two alternatives: to continue northbound up to Quilmes Ruins or to travel westbound towards the tiny village of Santa María, in the province of Catamarca.

Santa María, 180 km (113 miles) from Tucumán, was originally a Franciscan Mission within an area densely populated by aborigines. It therefore constitutes a rich archaeological site, where a certain style of pottery was found and became classified as the Santa María Culture, one of the main aboriginal cultures identified in the country. In its main square, there is an archaeological museum where some remains found in the area are exhibited. Numerous interesting places can be visited from there such as: the Burnt Fort, Ampajango and its petrogliphs (20 km/12 miles away), Loma Rica (with a 3-hour tour) and Cerro Pintado (8 km/5 miles away). From Santa María, it is possible to continue through the Calchaquí Valleys up to Cafayate, or towards the northwest to Antofagasta de la Sierra, in the Province of Catamarca.

Continuing along the Calchaquí Valleys, the road leads to the Quilmes Ruins, an old aborigine settlement that belonged to the Quilmes aborigines. The complex, which is a masterpiece of urban and defensive layout, lies on the eastern side of the Sierras de Quilmes, where the remains of the central area spread in the way of a natural amphitheatre. The central citadel is protected by fortresses on both sides. The walls were about 2 to 3 meter thick, the houses were roofed with cactus stems and branches plastered with mud. These ruins go on for several kilometers further to the southeast but numerous vestiges have not been found yet. It is thought that Quilmes, in the old days, housed up to 2,500 aborigine inhabitants, all of which were deported to Buenos Aires by the Spaniards to the place that nowadays holds their name, in the province of Buenos Aires, in a desperate attempt to beat these indomitable people who struggled against white men domination.