Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Angastaco
03868 / POP 900 / ELEV 1955M
Tiny Angastaco sits among some of the most dramatically tortuous rockscapes of the val-
ley route. Forty kilometers south of Molinos and 54km north of San Carlos, it's an oasis
with vineyards, fields of anise and cumin, and the ruins of an ancient
pucará
(walled
city).
Angastaco has an ATM and gas station. There is an
archaeological museum
(Pl Prin-
cipal s/n;
7:30am-1:30pm Mon-Fri)
and irregularly attended tourist information in
the municipal building.
Hospedaje El Cardón
( 15-459-0021; Martínez s/n; r per person with/without bathroom
AR$70/60)
is a decent budget choice. It's 50m to your right if you're standing facing the
church. Grand
Hostería Angastaco
( 491123; s/d AR$85/150; )
is very abandoned
but friendly and offers good value for its simple high-ceilinged rooms with cardón
cactus-wood furniture. There's a simple restaurant and summer-only pool. Five kilomet-
ers north of the turnoff to town,
Finca El Carmen
( 15-412-5900;
www.vallesdelcarmen.com.ar
; RN40 Km4427; s/d AR$350/450)
is an intriguing place to stay on
an historic ranch whose adobe buildings include an 18th-century Jesuit church. Hospital-
ity is excellent and decent meals are available.
At research time, the only public transportation was buses heading south to San Carlos
and Cafayate at 6am Monday to Saturday and 5pm Monday, Friday, and Sunday. For
Molinos, 40km north, transports (ask around) run the route for AR$300 to AR$350 total.
They'll often meet the Cafayate bus, where you can share the fare with other passengers.
See Molinos for contact numbers. Otherwise, it's a hitchhike: best done from the main
road, where there's shade and a cafe.
San Carlos
03868 / POP 1900 / ELEV 1624M
A sizable traditional village, San Carlos, 22km north of Cafayate, is connected to it by
paved road, a pleasant shock if you're arriving from the north. Most visitors push on
through, but there's a special place to stay here in
La Casa de los Vientos
(
15-456525;
www.casadelosvientos.com.ar
;
Barrio Cemitigre; d/q AR$300/500; )
,
signposted off the main road at the Cachi end of town. Built in the traditional manner of
adobe, with terracotta tiles and cane ceilings, it incorporates some ingenious environ-
mental innovations. The owners are potters, and the rooms (all different) are decorated
with rustic flair and beauty. There's a heated indoor pool and a very genuine welcome.
