Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
223
main plaza (the people of Cachi ar e well respected for their weaving skills, and the pon-
chos they sell are beautiful).
La Paya,
10km (6
1
/
4
miles) south of Cachi, and
Potrero de
Payogasta,
10km (6
1
/
4
miles) nor th of Cachi, hold the ar ea's most impor tant archaeo-
logical sites.
GETTING THERE
Cachi is 157km (97 miles) west of Salta on RP 33.
Empresa Mar-
cos Rueda
(
&
387/421-4447
) offers two buses daily fr om Salta; the trip takes 4 hours
and costs $6 (£4.05).
VISITOR INFORMATION
You can pick up maps, excursion information, and tips on
restaurants and hotels at the
Oficina de Turismo,
Avenida General Güemes (
&
3868/
491902
), open Monday through Friday from 8am to 9pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to
3pm and 5 to 9pm.
Where to Stay
Casa de Campo La Paya
Opened in 2000 on a 19th-centur y
estancia
(ranch),
this rustic inn overlooking the Calchaquíes Valley is a quiet place to walk, read, and relax.
Guest rooms have adobe walls and wood-beam ceilings, llama-wool rugs, and mattresses
laid on stone frames. You can eat your meals here if you like; all the produce (except the
meat) comes fr om this farm. The o wners will also arrange ex cursions to the nearb y
mountains, valley, and river.
8km (5 miles) from Cachi, on RN 40 to Molinos.
&
/fax
3868/491139.
www.casadecampolapaya.com.ar.
8 units. From $60 (£41) double . Rates include br eakfast. No cr edit cards.
Amenities:
Restaurant; pool;
outdoor excursions.
La Merced del Alto
Austerity and luxur y don't often make good bedfello ws,
but at La Merecd del Alto they seem to get on just fine. This whitewashed Spanish-style
hacienda sits in a fer tile valley 1.6km (1 mile) outside Cachi. A domed to wer crowns
cloistered hallways that lead to ample r ooms laid out in the most stylish Andean chic
decor. Wrought-iron headboards frame cow-skin pillow cases beneath silv er lamps. The
varnished floors match the cur ved bamboo ceilings in what is a tasteful combination of
traditional and modern. A spacious galler y invites y ou to lounge as do the deck chairs
beside a gorgeous pool. A tr eat for those who like to tr eat themselves, yet beware it is in
an isolated spot at the end of a pebbled track, and ther e is no TV.
Fuerte Alto, Cachi.
&
/fax
3868/490020.
www.lamerceddelalto.com. 15 units. From $165 (£112) double.
Rates include breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities:
Restaurant; pool; spa; out door excursions;
free high-speed Internet.
8
Where to Dine
Confitería y Comedor del Sol
REGIONAL When you walk into this village r es-
taurant, locals ar e likely to cease their conv ersations and star e for a minute. N ot to
worry—they will quickly return to their business once y ou sit down; many are engaged
in the afternoon's current soap opera. The menu is simple, consisting of pastas,
milanesas
(breaded meat cutlets), empanadas, and tamales. This is a gr eat place to hav e lunch on
your way to Molinos.
Ruiz de los Llanos.
&
.
3868/491222.
Main courses $3-$6 (£2-£4.05). No credit cards. Daily 8am-1am.
CAFAYATE
The wine town of Cafayate has its o wn distinct colors—pink dust, r ed hills, and oliv e-
green mountains. Corn-y ellow sand gathers along the curbstones of this sun-kissed vil-
lage, while donkeys graz e on the central plaza, and heaps of unlocked bicy
cles stand
