Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING
ACA Sol del Valle
J.M. Castilla. The restaurant of the
pricey
ACA Hotel
serves local food, including hearty soups
and stews, as well as cakes, sandwiches and pastries at
the adjoining café-bar. The setting is wonderful and the
staff friendly.
Rodolfo Bravo. On display alongside
archeological relics are local ceramics, and
everyday items from the colonial period.
1
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus
Buses from Salta and nearby villages use the small
terminal on Belgrano, east of the plaza, though some will
drop you off at your destination as you pass through town.
Ask the driver. Buses from Tucumán arrive at the terminal
on Güemes Norte & Alvarado.
Destinations
Salta (3-4 daily; 5hr); Tucumán (3 daily;
6-8hr).
AROUND CACHI
The 157km drive from Cachi to Cafayate
takes you through some of the region's
most spectacular scenery and some
delightful little towns. A short stop
in
Molinos
(60km from Cachi) is
recommended to view the local crafts,
see the picturesque adobe houses and
check out a fabulous church, the
eighteenth-century
Iglesia de San Pedro
Nolasco
. Beyond the town of Angastaco,
the red sandstone
Quebrada de las
Flechas
gorge is filled with dangerous-
looking arrow-head formations. Shortly
afterwards the road passes through
El Ventisquero
, the “wind-tunnel”,
and the natural stone walls of
El Cañón
,
over 20m high.
INFORMATION AND TOURS
Tourist information
A kiosk on the plaza (daily
8am-9pm) dispenses information about where to stay,
what to do and where to rent bikes or hire horses. Look
for the helpful map of the wineries.
Tour operators
Puna Turismo, at San Martín 82 (
T
03868
421 808), can arrange horserides, trekking, 4WD tours,
winery tours and mountain-bike adventures; Turismo
Cordillerano, at Camila Quintana de Niño 59 (
T
03868 422
137,
W
turismocordillerano.com.ar), offers trekking and
excursions in the valleys.
ACCOMMODATION
The recent boom in tourism has generated a range of
options in budget accommodation. All are within walking
distance of the plaza, and can advise on winery visits.
Rusty K Hostal
Rivadavia 281
T
03868 422 031,
W
rustyk
hostal.com.ar. Cen
tral, frie
ndly host
el with a
pleasant garden
to relax in. Dorms
AR$95
, doubles
AR$240
Ruta 40
Güermes Sur 178
T
03868 421 689,
W
hostel
-ruta40.com. The newest and most lively hostel i
n town
,
with cl
ean dorm
s and small doubles. Dorms
AR$90
,
doubles
AR$260
Los Toneles
Camila Quintana de Niño 38
T
03868 422
301,
W
lostoneleshostal.com.ar. Friendly budget hotel
half a block from the plaza with barrels of character -
literally, with giant beer barrels serving as decoration and
as tables in the small patios off each room. A yard with
benches th
at resemb
les an English pub garden completes
the picture.
AR$160
Ì
Hostal de Valle
San Martín 243
T
03868 421 039.
Large, light spacious ro
oms, set
around a luscious patio.
Ask for a room upstairs.
AR$300
CAFAYATE
The largest town in the region, and the
main tourist base, is
CAFAYATE
. Set amid
apparently endless vineyards, it makes
a perfect place to hole up for a few days
while exploring the surrounding area
on horseback or sipping the local wines
at nearby
bodegas
. The town is lively,
filled with inviting plazas and popular
restaurants.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The pleasure of your visit lies in getting
out into the countryside and exploring
the vineyards, though there are also craft
stalls and a couple of museums to fill
the hours. The sleek, modern
Museo de la
Vid y el Vino
on Avenida General Güemes
(daily 10am-9pm; AR$30) uses poetry
and audiovisuals to bring to life the
oenologist's craft and explain why
the climate in the area is so good for the
grapes. he
Museo Arqueológico
(daily
10am-9pm; free;
T
03868 421 054),
at the corner of Colón and Calchaquí,
is the private collection of late collector
EATING AND DRINKING
Restaurants and cafés surround the main plaza, where in
summer you can join crowds of locals strolling through
the city at dusk with an ice cream.
El Almacén
Camila Quintana de Niño 59,
W
elalmacen
hostelbar.com. This remodelled house has retained
many antique fittings, providing an atmospheric setting
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