Tafí
del Valle
This villa is placed in the the mountains,
in the middle of a fantastic landscape and
keeps treasures of great cultural value.
Its name comes from the Diaguita word Taktillakta
("Town with Splendid Entrance").
Until 1943 -when the road that skirts around
the mountain was made- the only way to get
to Tafi del Valle was on mule-back.
Today it is the most important attraction
in Tucumán. Tafi del Valle is 107
km away from the capital city of Tucumán,
1,976 metres above the sea level. It is
the excellent combination of mountains and
rivers as well as a climate (the temperature
range is 26°c in summer and 16°C
in winter) what invites everyone to visit
the city.
Los Menhires Park
The park has lots of stone monoliths that
were created by the Tafi people, one of
the oldest groups to practice the art of
making pottery. The Tafi people lived i
this valley in the early days of our era.
Their main activity was agriculture; they
were llama farmers.
The original site of the menhires was the
valley, but they had to be moved upwards,
when La Angostura dike was forming, to prevent
them from being lost. There are more than
one hundred menhires of different shapes.
Some have carvings depicting felines or
human figures. Some still have remains of
the paint used. It is possible to see them
walking through paths that reach the top
of the hill.
Quilmes Ruins
This is a native settlement and the main
attraction of the Argentinian Northwest.
It's an impressive stepped citadel built
on the slope of the Alto del Rey hill, which,
for more than a century, successfully stood
the Spanish conquest. It's a real fortress
in the slope of the hill.
In 1664 the native Quilmes were defeated
and condemned to travel to Buenos Aires,
although just a few of them survived and
got to the area that bears their name nowadays.
The Quilmes people defended the citadel
throwing arrows, stones and boleadoras from
two high fortresses placed in the north
and south margins. They were imposed the
use of the Quechua language to the detriment
of the Kakan, language spoken in the Calchaquí
valley. 3000 people lived in the citadel.
The exterior walls were usedays causeways.
Cafayate
Cafayate, placed in the centre of the Calchaquí valleys in the province of Salta, is internationally known for the quality of its wines and its beauty. Undoubtedly, the charm of this important city is fully appreciated when walking its streets, admiring the matchless architecture of its Cathedral, the wooded and flowery square, the old stone mill, and the museums filled with history and tradition.
Nature is present in the outstanding waterfalls of River Colorado, in the inviting sunsets of Santa Teresita Hill, in the white sand of Los Médanos and in the unforgettable Cafayate Canyon o Río de las Conchas, with their peculiar shapes and colours. Cafayate has high-quality hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafeterias.
Cachi - Calchaqui Valleys
The nice town of Cachi is placed in the confluence of the rivers Cachi and Calchaquí, in a region of the Calchaquí Valleys surrounded by the hills and mountains of the Precordillera de los Andes. The Town, of predominant colonial style, has a central square surrounded by cobbled streets and whitened houses, with walls made of adobe and covered with lime and sand, rails made of wrought iron, and roofs made of cane and mud.
On both sides the streets have irrigation channels. In conquering times the region was inhabited by the Diaguitas. The Diaguitas were an agricultural tribe, pottery makers and metal workers. They also domesticated llamas. Even though they successfully stopped the invasion if the Incas for a while, in the year 1300 they were dominated by them. In spite of this, they were allowed to keep their own way of life. The word "cachi" comes from the Quechua language and means "salt". This makes us believe that, in pre-Hispanic times, there might have been a salt deposit in this place.
Salta
Hernando de Lerma, Tucuman's governor, founded the city of Salta, capital of the province, on April 16th, 1582. The city is usually called "Salta, la linda (Salta, the beauty)". It's a city of colonial style -white walls, red-tiled roofs and terraces with nice wells-. The landscape -mountains, valleys, canyons and the Puna- together with the flora and fauna protected by its National Parks, make of Salta a tourist region of excellence. One of the attractions Salta has is El Tren de las Nubes ("
The Train of the Clouds") that offers an amazing trip, full of emotion, andayscends up to 4200 metres above the sea level. Surrounding the city there are several towns full of monuments and historical places, as well as ruins, testimony of the past. Salta has excellent hotels, gastronomy, casinos, museums and a market, among many other attractions
