Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CÓRDOBA AND
THE ANDEAN
NORTHWEST
Varied and distinctive, the landscape of this region is marked by
deep canyons stratified into all the colors of the rainbow, huge salt
lakes shimmering with pink flamingos, and prairies baked by the
intense heat of the subtropical sun. With a tangible pre-Columbian
and colonial past, the Northwest boasts well-preserved landmarks
set amid spectacular desert and mountain scenery.
The pre-conquest settlers of this
region were the Aymara, Quechua,
Comechingones, and Sanavirones. With
the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors
in the 1500s, some tribes were displaced
and many rendered extinct. The Jesuit
priests, who followed the colonizers in the
16th century, played a leading role in
the development of the towns of
Santiago del Estero, Tucumán, Córdoba,
Salta, and Jujuy as major administrative,
cultural, and religious centers.
Today, the region is still thrillingly
Andean; the influence of the Aymara- and
Quechua-speaking people from Jujuy -
their folk music, beautiful textiles, and
cuisine - extends down into the more
mestizo societies of Tucumán and Salta.
The land and its guardian Pachamama
(Earth Mother) are also central to the local
mind -set. Agri cul ture and livestock
provide most of the area's income,
coupled with a growing tourism industry.
Much of the region's beauty can be
experienced on road journeys through
the Cafayate and Humahuaca
quebradas
(ravines). Most cities have a well-preserved
Jesuit heritage with colonial churches,
convents, and civic edifices that give
them an old-world feel. The south of the
province is considered by many to be
Argentina's second wine region, after
Mendoza, and a source of delicious
semisweet Torrontés wines as well as
some exceptional red varietals produced
by local boutique wineries.
Finca La Rosa, converted from a
bodega
into a wine-themed hotel and spa, Cafayate
Arid Andean foothills with the mountains rising behind, Parque Nacional Los Cardones
