Royal Road West from Bs As to Alto Peru December 29, 2012

The Villa in the Valley of Tulumba, Villa de Tulumba, Northern Cordoba, along the Old Royal Road, known in Spanish as Camino Real. Beginnings The route originated as the "Camino Real del Peru" (Royal Road of Peru), used since colonial times to travel from Buenos Aires, through Cordoba, Santiago del Estero, San Miguel de Tucuman, Salta, San Salvador de Jujuy, and Potosi, continuing to Peru. The section between Buenos Aires and the south of what it is today Cordoba Province, was shared with the "Camino Real del Oeste" (Royal Road of the West) which branched towards San Luis, Mendoza and Santiago (Chile). The road had a system of small inns and establishments every 30–50 km where travellers could rest. After the coming of the railroad, in the second half of the 19th Century, this road lost relevance, as the railroad provided faster service on any type of weather. The first train from Buenos Aires arrived in the town of La Quiaca in Argentina's northern border with Bolivia on 30 December, 1907.[1] With the advent of the automobile, the Federal Government decided to build roads throughout the Republic. In 1936 the road from Buenos Aires to La Quiaca was named Ruta Nacional 9 (National Route 9). In 1943 the road was open to traffic in its full length, even though most of it was unpaved. The road started competing against the railroad, taking passengers and cargo. The last passenger train to La Quiaca arrived on December 1993, and the last cargo train in July 1994