Valle Calchaquíes and beyond

Salta, the city, is also home to a thriving ecotourism industry, thanks to the spectacular countryside that surrounds it in Salta, the province, and the neighboring provinces of Tucumán and Jujuy. Many travelers begin with a trip to the Valle Calchaquíes. One can choose from many bus tours or take the Tren de las Nubes, or, for the more intrepid, a better option might be to rent a car and explore the region on your own.

That way you can meander at will, stopping to marvel at the cloud shadows as they ripple across the soft green folds of mountain in the Quebrada del Obispo, or the strange arrows of limestone angling into the bright blue sky in the Quebrada de las Flechas, or the snowcapped peaks overlooking the checkered green fields that dot the irrigated valleys. 

A typical circuit would be to head first to the little pueblo of Cachi, passing through the rainforest-like Quebrada de Escoipe before rising to the more typical desert terrain of the Parque Nacional Los Cordones (National Cactus Forest). Be sure not to miss the turnoff to the Valle Encantado along the way, especially if you make the trip in the springtime, when this fertile little valley is carpeted with colorful flowers.

Take care to inquire about the conditions of the roads, however, as you plan your trip. One car rental company assured us we could easily be in the region’s principal city, Cafayate, by nightfall. Technically, that’s possible, although given that the 60km from Cachi to Cafayate was characterized by teeth-chattering washboard-style backroads, sheep and goat crossings, occasional wild horse and vicuña sightings and frequent heart-stopping views, it’s not advisable.

We spent the night in a tiny, rustic town tucked behind the mountains along RN-40 called Angastaco, a tiny oasis in the rocky desert. The surrounding terrain is a dusty moonscape, interrupted suddenly by a field of emerald green where someone has diverted the water from the centuries-old acequias, part of an elaborate network constructed hundreds of years ago by the Incas.

Angostaco is typical of the tiny towns that dot these mountains, with beautiful old ceibos trees shading the plaza and burros meandering down the streets without a care.

Cafayate shares some of those characteristics – including the burros – but as a frequent tourist destination, it has a much more bohemian and modern feel, with cybercafés and ecotourism companies tucked into the neocolonial storefronts along the plaza.

But Cafayate’s principal claim to fame is its wineries. Here in some of the highest vineyards in the world they grow the delicate varietal called torrontés for which the region is best known. A tour of the wineries, set against the dramatic mountain backdrop, can easily take in a relaxed and very tasty afternoon.

For those with a bit more time to spend, it’s worthwhile to continue southward into Tucumán province to gain a bit more sense of the history and peoples who inhabited this region. First along the road is Quilmes, a tiny town in Tucumán province that bears the name of the name of the fierce pre-Columbian peoples of that region. There on the outskirts of Quilmes amidst the cactus and the llamas are the reconstructed ruins of the ancient city of the Quilmes, cut into the side of a mountain as a towering testament to 200 years of resistance. The Quilmes were among the few tribes that resisted the invading Incas in the 1480s, as were the Cachaquíes in the neighboring valley. These fierce warriors and the hostility of the terrain are the main reasons why this area, unlike Salta to the north, was for the most part not settled until the 1800s. The Quilmes agreed to have a trade agreement and a cultural exchange with the Incas and so were able to take advantage of their technological advances in metallurgy, weaving and agriculture.

But despite their successful resistance to the Incas, the Spaniards finally proved too much for the last holdouts. Local historians say the Cachaquíes warriors all died fighting them, and the women threw themselves from the cliffs rather than bear the Spaniards’ children. The Quilmes met an equally grim, if more grueling end. Nearly 150 years after their first violent encounter, in 1664 the Spaniards sent troops to surround their city. The people were finally starved out and granted their lives only under one condition -- they must leave their homeland. They were led on a forced march to the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where the second village of Quilmes still bears the name of the people who no longer exist. Most died during the march or subsequently due to the diseases they were exposed to in the city. Less than 100 years later there were no descendants of the Quilmes. Now the omnipresent reminder of these proud people is the bright blue logo of Quilmes beer.

Another place to explore the history of the Quilmes and other tribes that peopled the region is the Museo Pachamama (the Quechua name for Mother Earth) in the nearby town of Amaicha. The museum, designed by local artist Hector Cruz, is in itself a work of art, with cactus gardens set amidst the stunning stone sculptures recreating prehistoric symbols and sites.

After a quick lunch in Amaicha, one can make the drive back to Salta in a day along the paved RN-68 highway, but be sure not to dally, as some of the most spectacular scenery along the highway is best seen in the afternoon light. Copper and other mineral deposits make a colorful artist’s palette of the undulating and arching formations reminiscent of Utah’s Arches Natural Monument.

Halfway between Cafayate and Salta, a refreshing stop for the road-weary spirit is the lovely Posta de las Cabras, a family-owned café and gift-shop that sells coffee, tea and the artisanal goat cheeses and German-style desserts.