Cachi in The Salta Province of Argentina

The town of Cachi is found in the Salta Province, in Northern Argentina. The Natives initially mistook the top of the nearby Nevado Hill for a salt mine, so they named the town Cachi, which is the local word for salt. This virgin area is now called the Chalchaqui Vallies of Salta and is quite remote. A two hour flight from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, takes one to Salta City. From there, it is another 4 hours by car, some of it unpaved, to get to Cachi.

Cachi is a site for both those interested in history and in the splendor of nature. The town offers an array of masterful architectural structures from pristine white buildings of colonial aristocracy to modest adobe houses. Walk among the quiet streets, and take in the slow pace of life of the village and the region. If you overnight in the town, you can really enjoy the tranquility after the few tourist that do visit the town during the day travel onward.

The primary attractions of the town include the Cachi Church, Antigales, and the Cachi Archeological Museum, which are important archeological and cultural sites for those wanting to take in the region's history as well as its beautiful natural sites. Here you can discover the remains of native civilizations that have they roots here well before Columbus found America.

Outside of town, a breathtakingly beautiful and unspoiled place, Cachi offers a range of splendid sites for touring. The most popular are the "Valle Encantado" (Enchanted Valley), with its astounding erosion-sculpted rock formations, and Los Cardones National Park, which features a tranquil desert landscape hosting a variety of animal and vegetable species.

This part of the Salta province is also famous for producing an unmatched Torrontes wine. The Torrontes grape is fairly unique to this region of Salta, and is not cultivated anywhere in the world. The nearby town of Cafayate is the center of wine region in Salta.

Temperatures in this region are relatively comfortable year round, with summers ranging from 59F to 83F, and the winter season from 33 F to a comfortable 66F. It is arid, fertile land hospitable to the growth of a range of vegetable and legume crops and is best known for growing a range of peppers. Because of this climate, the Salta Province produces many crops and is actually relatively rich compared to the rest of Northern Argentina.

By Michael Zurakhinsky