Salta Province

The Salta Province has a number of natural, social and historic spots.

The capital city is called Salta "La Linda" ("The beautiful") and is a major tourist destination and the central site for visiting the rest of the province. The city holds different attractions, including her colonial houses and cathedral, and the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña de Salta that presents the 3 frozen Inca mummies found at the 6,700 meters of the Llullaillaco volcano.

Also in Salta, the Tren de las Nubes go across canyons and cliffs before arriving to the 12,500 feet of San Antonio de los Cobres. The red-rock formations of the Calchaquíes Valleys and the wine-town of Cafayate are ones of the most visited places in the province. You can also visit the Cachi mountain and the villages (such as Payogasta) around.

You can practice various activities such as trekking and rafting, climbing and bungee jumping. There are 3 national parks in Salta: Los Cardones National Park, Baritú National Park and El Rey National Park in the Yungas jungle.

Calchaquíes Valleys – Quilmes - Cachi

Calchaquíes Valleys (Valles Calchaquíes in Spanish) is a valley situated in the North-western region that goes through Catamarca, Tucuman and Salta provinces. It is well-known for its contrast of colours and its distinctive geography that extends from the mountain desert to the subtropical forest.

There are a series of valleys and rivers within the Calchaquís valleys such as the Quebrada del Toro, Valle de Lerma near Salta city, the Quebrada de Escoipe, the Valle Encantado at the foot of the Cuesta del Obispo, the Quebrada de las Conchas near Cafayate, the valley of the Santa María river, and the Calchaquí River itself.

These valleys were once inhabited by a number of tribes. You can find the Ruins of Quilmes in Tucumán. Other tribes of the zone include the Calchaquíes, Tafi and the Yokavil (Santa María).

The most visited tourist spots of the Valley are Tafí del Valle, Cafayate, Molinos, San Carlos, Santa María and Cachi at the western edge of the valley, and the Los Cardones National Park, and Los Sosa Provincial Park in Tucumán. You can find numerous vineyards, specially in the Cafayate area, in several parts of the valley.

Cachi

Cachi is a charming town located in the Calchaquí Valleys. In this location you can admire Nature as well as colonial aristocracy.
The city is composed of white buildings, adobe houses, paved streets and striking architectural and cultural constructions that strikes the tourist.

Cachi means " salt" in quechua because the natives cnfounded the top of " El Nevado" with a salt mine.
There are variouss tourist spots including the " Valle Encantado" ( Enchanted Valley), where wind and pluvian erosion portray evocative shapes in the rocks of the mountain, and Los Cardones National Park depicts an exclusive and picturesque desert landscape with varied animal and vegetal species.
Another marvelous sites to visit are the Archeological Museum, Cachi Church and Antigales, where there are deposits of old native civilization.

Cafayate

Cafayate is a town situated at the central area of the Calchaqui Valleys.

The town is a very important tourist center for discovering the Calchaquíes valleys. Its wine production is of high quality and originality.

The name derives from the Cafayates tribe that, along with the Tolombón, inhabited the Calchaquís Valleys before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores The meaning of the term is undecided. Some claim it to mean "Box of Water", others to be a deformation of Capac-Yac ("Great Lake") or Capac-Yaco ("Great Chief" or "Wealthy People"). Another Cacan version understands it as "Grave of Sorrows".

The most fascinating sights of the Valley of the Río las Conchas (Quebrada de Cafayate) are through the 183-kilometres-long National Route 68 that goes from Salta to Cafayate. Oher sites of interest from Cafayate comprise Molinos, Tolombón and San Isidro ranch. Cafayate town itself in an attraction with its easy-going rhythm, colonial style, and wine basements open to the public.

The most important wine production in the Calchaquís Valleys and Tafí del Valle. The wines that are produced in the region profit from the low-humidity mild weather of the valleys. The most typical type of wine cultivated in the zone is torrontés. You can do free guided tours around the wine-cellars.

Quilmes Ruins

The ruins of Quilmes can be seen at 182 km from San Miguel de Tucumán, on the way to Cafayate. It is a fortress that was raised by the Quilmes Indians. The ruins are one of the most important archaeological sites in Argentina and were discovered at the end of the 19th century by the ethnographer and naturalist Juan Bautista Ambrosetti.

The Quilmes Indians were one of the most ferocious cultures which resisted the Incas but collapsed to the Spaniards. Today there are only a few Quilmes left in Tucumán.