ARGENTINA REGION BY REGION - Argentina - page 187

pleasant highlands. Sunny but
bearable weather is guaranteed
all year round, making Tafí del
Valle an ideal base for hiking,
fishing, and horseback-riding
trips. Trails snake their way up
the surrounding peaks, which
include Cerro El Matadero and
Cerro Pabellón, both topping
10,000 ft (3,000 m).
The town has a number of
hotels, restaurants, and
adventure tourism agencies
around the central plaza.

The Hall of Independence at the Casa Histórica de la Independencia

y Quilmes
Road map B1. 110 miles (177 km) NW
of Tucumán. @ Open daily, subject
to staffing: check ahead by calling
[phone]. & 8 7 limited. ®

r San Miguel de
Tucumán
Road map B1. 98 miles (158 km) NW
of Santiago del Estero. * 530,000.
k @ n 24 De Septiembre 484,
[phone].

collection of mate ware,
textiles, and traditional
musical instruments.

E Casa Histórica de la
Independencia
Congreso 141. Te l [phone].
Open 10am-6pm daily. Sound-and-
Light Show: 8:30pm Fri-Wed. &
∑ museocasahistorica.org.ar

One of the most important and
best preserved archaeological
sites in Argentina, the Quilmes
ruins are the last vestiges of a
city founded by the pre-Incan
tribe of the same name in the
9th century AD. It was originally
intended to be a bulwark
against Inca incursions. The
population peaked here in the
17th century, at close to 6,000.
The settlement had by then
held out for around 150 years
against attacks by the better-
armed Spanish conquerors.
The ruins have been expertly
excavated and preserved -
stone walls, terraces, and even
entire buildings can be seen,
and the effect of walking
through them is haunting.
The excellent on-site museum
displays tools and weaponry
excavated in the area. The
Hotel Ruinas de Quilmes is
located at the foot of the ruins.

The biggest and economically
most important town in north-
west Argentina, San Miguel de
Tucumán is located in the Rió
Salí Valley, to the east of the
towering Sierra de Aconquija.
Usually known simply as
Tucumán, the town is a hectic,
relatively thriving metropolis,
with a youthful
popu lation and
vib rant night life. The
city has played a key
role in Argentinian history
- it was here, on July 9,
1816, that Argentina
declared her indepen-
dence from the
Spanish crown. The
room in which the
fateful démarche was delivered
can be visited at the Casa
Histórica de la Independencia .
The house, with a series of
creeper-draped patios and
whitewashed colonnades, was
originally built in the late 1700s,
but was razed to the ground in
the late 19th century. It was repla-
ced by a replica in the 1940s. A
sound-and-light show in the
garden re-enacts the story of how
independence was declared.
Plaza Independencia is the
focal point of San Miguel de
Tucumán, with native trees, a
large pool, fountains, and a
statue representing Liberty.
Located nearby is Museo
Folklórico , housing a wide

t Tafí del Valle
Road map B1. 66 miles (107 km) W
of Tucumán. * 4,500. @
n Los Faroles s/n.
∑ tucumanturismo.gov.ar

A popular weekend
getaway during the
blistering summer
months, Tafí del Valle is a
small town. It is located
significantly higher
than Tucumán,
making it cooler with
average summer
temperatures of 12º C
(54º F). The road taking travelers
up from the sticky lowlands
winds through forests and
lemon orchards, and up into the

Peruvian pelican, Casa
Histórica de la
Independencia

The excavated Quilmes ruins dating back to the 9th century AD