The Tour of the Calchaquies Valleys, also known as ‘La Vuela a Los Valles‘ is a drive through Salta that highlights the beauty of this northwestern Argentine province.
Lunar landscapes, big skies, proud cacti, enchanting wine vineyards and kaleidoscopic color palettes is what ‘La Vuelta a los Valles Calchaquíes‘ roadtrip is known for.
Salta is the province’s capital city and it offers a comfortable point of embarkation to the quaint provincial pueblos, Cafayate and Cachi, that make up this road trip.
Visit both towns on a two or three day trip via the poetic, yet unballyhooed road trip circuit.
V&S Boutique Hostel is a place to stay that ticks all the boxes.
It’s reasonably priced, clean, and offers guests a wide range of activities.
It is also located in the thick of the action downtown — this could be either a plus or a minus, depending on what you’re after.
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A Laid-Back but Social Downtown Hostel
Most Buenos Aires hostels are gathered around the tango bars and steak houses of San Telmo, or the bars and clubs of Palermo, but the microcentro area offers a happy compromise.
The corner of Viamonte and Suipacha streets lies two blocks walking distance of the pedestrian thoroughfare of Florida and Galeria Pacificos, a shopping mall that contains the Borges Cultural Center.
It’s also two blocks away from the spectacular Teatro Colón, among the world’s most celebrated opera houses.
Transportation is no problem here with numerous bus stops and subway lines running nearby.
Getting to San Telmo from the V&S takes less than 30 minutes on foot, and is even quicker by public transport or by using one of the city’s free bikes.
Palermo is slightly further away but still easy to reach from here.
The only drawback of being based downtown is the noise and hustle of a typical working day, which confront you as soon as you step out the door.
If you can cope with that, you’re in a very convenient spot for a fun stay in Buenos Aires.
Discover Argentina’s Asado Tradition in a friendly, fireside atmosphere.
The Space: Peaceful but Social
Inside, the V&S is relaxed and comfortable.
Typical Argentine early 20th-century elegance is reflected in details such as the antique elevator, the cozy library and the French balconies and terrace overlooking a park.
The communal area is sunny and spacious, decorated with touches of rural Argentina.
It’s also dominated by a gigantic TV, perpetually alternating between movies and sports, depending on who has wrestled control of the remote.
V&S offers all the standard features you would expect from a good hostel.
The price of your room includes a buffet breakfast (until 10:30 am), introductory Spanish and tango lessons, and personal lockers (bring your own lock for extra security).
Internet access and laundry are available for a small fee.
The staff helps arrange trips to the usual attractions such as football games, theater and tango shows.
The management also finds a good balance between encouraging a peaceful environment for guests who need their rest, while providing plenty of opportunities to socialize.
Group dinners are arranged a couple of times a week they can get guests discounts at various recommended nightspots every night of the week.
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights the hostel puts on live shows highlighting Argentine genres of music, such as tango and national rock, giving guests the chance to experience the local scene.
Rates vary slightly depending on season and length of stay, but the cheapest option is the 8-person room.
Four-bed rooms, with either external or internal bathrooms, are a slightly more expensive alternative.
Private rooms for solo travelers or couples with a small balcony and private bathroom are also available.
A huge plus is that all rooms have air conditioning and heating, an important feature during Buenos Aires’ chilly winters and muggy summers.
If you’re looking for a downtown hostel in Buenos Aires, head to V&S for a more relaxed environment.
If partying is on the agenda, check out the nearby Milhouse Hostel on Avenida de Mayo.
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Viamonte 887 (corner of Suipacha)
Retiro/Downtown
Renting a car is the most advantageous method of travel, providing the freedom to stop and capture photos, pick up hitchhikers, hike the terrain, or simply stop and gawk at breathtaking landscapes as frequently as you wish.
Alternately, there are tour buses that embark regularly from Salta.
For more adventurous budget travelers, hitchhiking is relatively easy on this route.
Route 68 headed to Cafayate is also a popular road for biking.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and venture out early, as it can be a brutal dessert experience for the unprepared.
⇒ Instead of renting a car, take a more affordable three-day guided tour of Cafayate, Cachi, and Humahuaca
⇒ See All Salta Tours: Cafayate, the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Altiplano town of Iruya
Starting your Salta Roadtrip
Head south from Salta to Cafayate on Ruta 68 towards Valles Calchaquíe.
Located in the center of the Calchaquies Valley, Cafayate is a little less than 190 kilometers from Salta, about three and a half hours by car.
The first part of the circuit is a rather easy drive; a straight shot down a well-maintained two-lane road.
At first you’re greeted with a pleasant, bucolic landscape, but the truly extraordinary scenery begins as you enter into the Quebrada de Cafayate (also called the Quebrada de Las Conchas.)
The ‘Sea Shell Gorge’ begins at the railway ghost town of Alemanía where you can stop to explore the old railroad depot and cross the train trestle to take a dip in the river.
Twenty minutes down the road you’ll come upon an aptly named red rock formation, Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat).
You can make like a mountain goat and scurry up the Devil’s Throat, but beware that getting up is much easier than getting down.
A couple of kilometers further is El Anfiteatro, a natural amphitheater that will delight musicians with its wonderful red rock acoustics.
Those with a guitar in tow will definitely want to check it out.
In the spring and summer you may stumble across a concert here.
As you continue down the road you’ll come across a slew of capricious rock formations including El Sapo (The Frog), El Fraile (The Friar) and El Obeslico (The Obelisk).
Arrival in Cafayate
Once you reach Cafayate, where most taking this drive stay overnight, drop in the tourist office located in the central Plaza San Martin (Guemes and San Martin) for maps, brochures, information on activities and tours.
Be sure to pick up for a map of the local bodegas (wineries).
If you’re arriving here on a Friday or Saturday night reservations are recommended.
Options range from to a low-cost dorm bed in a hostel to a range of moderately-priced hotels to the luxury hotel-spa, Patios de Cafayate.
Activities in Cafayate
In spite of a growing tourism, Cafayate has retained its small-town soul.
Wander a few blocks away from the main plaza and you’ll find yourself deep inside a vibrant neighborhood of locals, unconcerned with the presence of outsiders.
Children play soccer in the streets, mothers hang clothes outside to dry, and sleepy dogs lay wherever they may.
Be sure to take a step inside Nuestra Señora del Rosario, an impressive cathedral in the main plaza.
Any given dusty lane will lead you to a vineyard open for tours and wine sampling.
Cafayate’s dry climate, high altitude 1,660 meters above sea level, hot days and cool nights makes it a prime location for wine production.
Cafayate is famous for its Torrontés grape, used to create the dry, fruity white wine of the same name.
This particular provincial wine has increasingly received international praise, earning it the notable title of ‘The white wine of Argentina.’
For more information on Cafayate’s wine history and culture, visit the Museo de Vitivinicultura (Güemes Sur and Colon) and read about winery tours in Cafayate.
The trip to Río Colorado, five kilometers outside of town, is nice if you’re looking for some outdoors activity.
Hike upstream for about one and a half hours to a waterfall with a pleasant area for a swim.
Taxis are available from Cafayate to the trail entrance. It can be difficult to find taxis for the ride back to Cafayate though.
Try arranging a pickup time with your driver, or bring water for the 5km walk back.
Biking is an easy option when the weather is nice; find bike rentals around the plaza.
For those who don’t want to bother with a trail map and compass, there are plenty of guides available in town for reasonable prices.
Just an hour trip south from Cafayate by car, lies Quilmes, a fascinating pre-Inca, indigenous ruins resting in a lonely dessert.
Pay a small fee to visit the relics of the once-thriving pre-colonial city.
Day Two: Cafayate to Cachi on Route 40
On day two of your drive you’ll take Ruta 40 out of town towards Cachi.
Ruta 40 winds seductively through Quebrada de las Flechas (Narrow Gorge).
This trip between Cafayate and Cachi offers some of the most stunning, arid visuals on the planet.
Be attentive while driving on the famous Route 40 — at times it is a precarious, narrow gravel road,
The small mountainous pre-colonial town of Cachi lies 165 kilometers north of Cafayate (about five and a half hours by car).
Once you arrive in Cachi, rest up and try some northern Argentine favorites like empanadas, locro or tamales.
The town has quite a few shops selling typical northern Argentine arts and crafts.
Most everything you need, including the Cachi Tourist Office, is centered around the main plaza.
Visit the Church of San Jose and the small but interesting archeology museum.
With a spectacular panoramic view of the town and the Nevado de Cachi mountain range, Cachi’s picturesque hilltop cemetery is a must-see attraction in the 5,000-person town.
If you have time to stretch your trip out you can stay in Cachi overnight.
Before heading out of town, pick up some local mountain herbs and spices for sale in the plaza.
The trip back to Salta from Cachi via Route 40 is a strikingly beautiful ride.
The trip is a total 160 kilometers, about three hours) through the Quebrada de Escoipe and Cuesta del Obispo.
Visual delights await you the final hours of the trip, with an ever-changing landscape that sometimes appears to pertain to another planet.
— by Avery White
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La Vuelta de Los Valles three-day drive round-up:
Day 1: Salta to Cafayate: 180km. Good road conditions. 3.5 hours (through Quebrada de Cafayate)
Day 2: Cafayate to Cachi: 165km. Rough road conditions 5.5 hours. (through Quebrada de las Flechas)
Day 3*: Cachi to Salta: 160km. The first 1/3 of the route is unpaved followed by paved roads. Some parts of this route wind around steep mountain terrain. 3-4 hours (through the Quebrada de Escoipe and Cuesta del Obispo)
* For a two-day trip, Cafayate to Salta can be done in one long day.
• It is important to note if driving that there are not many gas stations in between Salta and Cafayate, and no gas stations between Cafayate and Cachi.
There are several gas stations in Cafayate and Cachi. It’s best to fill up the tank before leaving Salta.
→ Five incredible Wine Tours in Cafayate
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