Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cachi
03868 / POP 2600 / ELEV 2280M
The biggest place by some distance hereabouts - you'll hear locals refer to it as 'the city'
- enchanting Cachi is nevertheless little more than a village surrounded by stunning
scenery. Overlooked by noble mountains, it boasts fresh highland air, sunny days and
crisp nights. The cobblestones, adobe houses, tranquil plaza and opportunities to explore
the surrounds mean that it's the sort of place that eats extra days out of your carefully
planned itinerary.
Sights
Museo Arqueológico
MUSEUM
(AR$10 donation; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat, 11am-3pm Sun)
On the plaza, this is a
well-presented and professionally arranged account of the surrounding area's cultural
evolution, with good background information (in Spanish) on archaeological methods.
Don't miss the wall in the secondary patio, composed of stones with petroglyphs.
Next door
Iglesia San José
(1796) has graceful arches and a barrel-vaulted ceiling of
cardón wood. The confessional and other features are also cardón, while holy water lives
in a large
tinaja
(oil jar).
Activities
A short walk from Cachi's plaza brings you to a
viewpoint
and then the picturesque hill-
top
cemetery
; nearby is a rather unlikely airstrip.
There's a handful of rather unremarkable
archaeological sites
dotted around the val-
ley; these make destinations for picturesque hikes or drives. There's a winery in town,
and others within easy driving distance.
Many locals hire out
horses
; look for signs or ask in the tourist office.
Valley Walking
WALKING
Just over an hour's walk from Cachi, Cachi Adentro is a tiny village where not a lot hap-
pens: you can swing on the seats in the demi-plaza or sip a soda from the store. It's a par-
ticularly lovely walk in summer, when streams and cascades are alive with water.
