Salta & Cafayate

On January 21st we flew to Salta which is in the northwest part of Argentina.It is a well preserved city with colonial architecture dating from the 18th and 19 th centuries.  Most Argentinians refer to it as Salta la Linda which translates to Salta the beautiful.  We checked into the Hotel Legado Mitico which is a charming boutique hotel right in the middle of old town and situated in a lovely colonial building. The hotel has maintained its colonial charm yet has the comforts one needs.  Once checked in we set off exploring the narrow streets. Everything closes from 1-5 for an extended siesta and then the streets come alive and apparently stay that way until well into the morning but for that we will take their word.  We sat in the main square and enjoyed some empanadas and wine in the late afternoon before continuing our exploring. Restaurants don’t open until 8 or later and don’t get busy until after ten so we had no trouble finding a table and were in fact the first to arrive at 8 at a charming local restaurant where we were warmly greeted with a glass of wine and complimentary appys. Had some delicious llama carpaccio amongst other tasty dishes and when our waiter Angel felt our bottle of wine did not compliment my main dish he brought me another complimentary glass of wine. At the end of the meal he also brought us liquors and dessert. Needless to say he was well tipped.

Wednesday January 22nd we were picked up at 0730 for a full day tour south to Cafayate located in the heart of the Valles Calchaquies.  We passed through several small villages which was fascinating though I must say the poverty was quite evident.  Another interesting thing was that even though we would not be leaving the province of Salta we had been told to bring our passports which we were puzzled by but the reason for this is that at various points along the roadway police set up check points and stop vehicles as they desire.  These police, usually numbering six at a time would be standing in the middle of the road and we never saw them stop anyone. Seems like a bit of a make work project.  As we reached the Gorge of the Rio de las Conchas we were rewarded with the sight of beautiful red limestone hills that had been eroded into wonderful formations by the wind and water.  We made several photo stops before continuing on to Cafayate which is surrounded by vineyards and boasts many wineries as it is the home of the highest vineyards in the world at 2500 meters.  We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with some local wine, did a wine tasting a a local winery, explored the town and visited a fascinating wine museum before heading back to Salta for a late dinner. A full and wonderful day with our guide and driver Fredrico.

Our room in Salta was definitely a step back in time

Lovely colonial buildings and statues

Downtown Salta

Deserted streets at 4 PM while everyone has their siesta then stores stay open until after midnight

Beautiful cathedral. 90% of Argentinians call themselves catholic though a large number are no longer practising

Enjoying empanadas and wine in the town square. We tried empanadas everywhere we went kind of like a taste test and Salta definitely had the best. One stuffed with meat, olives and dried grapes was delicious

Interesting rock formations 

Red hills appearing as we travel towards Cafayate 

One goes inside this formation and the locals call it the Devil’s Throat

Looking out through the throat

The locals set up stalls at the manor stops to sell their wares

This is the largest formation and is known as the amphitheater. The sound in it was much like a theatre and there was a fellow playing his guitar and singing which was quite lovely 

A panoramic of the amphitheater 

Looking out the entrance to the theatre before it opens up

Entrance sign to the amphitheater 

Beautiful red limestone in all directions 

Shapes carved by the wind that can howl at times

Herds of goats wander across the highway as if they own it

Vineyard in Cafayate 

Charming woman doing our tasting. Spoke no English but with the Spanish we knew especially Eric and her facial and hand expressions we had a great time.

Great lunch stop where thankfully we were able to have a wonderful salad and no meat. When you order a meal here you get enough meat for the whole family as well as a lot of carbs which is probably why we have noticed a very large obesity issue in the smaller cities

Salad at last but of course one must try the local wine

I am thinking the Viagra Salteno might sell well at home no matter what it tastes like

This unusual building in Cafayate is a private home. I venture to say it is probably well photographed 

This speaks for itself

A cathedral in Salta on our way back from dinner