NW Nomad

Cafayate - Rio Colorado

Rio Colorado is a gorgeous half-day excursion very close to the city that we take clients on as part of a package. Hike or drive to the start of the track through endless stretches of vineyards.

When travelling South and stopping in Cafayate for a few days - the Colorado is a short option although it can be a strenuous trek and it is best to take a guide who knows the route as they are not marked.

We use the guides as they are local and it is their livelihood - They always have tales to tell. Our clients were quite adventurous so we went up the route with more scrabling and a small section of caving where bats can be seen at night.

The guide Franco showed us his scar from his run-in with a puma in the hills. That's him leaping across the rocks beneath the waterfall like a mountain goat.

The Colorado is like a hidden valley, very lush and secret surrounded by hills.

Cafayate - Quebrada de Las Conchas

Quebrada Las Conchas has again usurped lo de Humahuaca as my favourite after spending the last week hiking and photographing it in all its rainy season glory. The light changes constantly as the rain clouds do battle with the sun.

And the clouds draping themselves around the mountains here at 1662 metres above sea level are like a reluctant bride.

We can guide the Quebrada for a day trip either from Salta or from Cafayate, although I prefer the latter for the loveliness of the pueblo and its proximity to the gorge - leaves more time for trekking and picnicking. From Cafayate we went along ruta 68 to Medanos - Salta's mini Sahara - reaching it meant fording muddy water to thigh level after the rains.

Then continued directly into the Quebrada. The amazing rock formations were formed in the collision of two land masses hundreds of thousands of years ago.

The varying colours are created from the mineral deposits of copper and iron. Unlike the day excursions from Salta that simply stop off for five minutes at photo-ops along the road, we took our travellers hiking deep into the quebrada to experience the silence and colours without buses idling in the background. Our guests got engaged in the gorge - Its pretty romantic in there plus it was Valentines Day, or Dia de los Enamoradas.

Rainy season is full throttle in NOA at the moment and the rain has caused flooding to the road and tracks. Even the rio at Los Castillos was running high.

Cachi and Back

As usual, an early morning start to go to Cachi. From Salta it's a 4-5 hour drive with a couple of brief photo stops.

 

We pass through the Valle de Lerma first where the minerals in the soil create a rainbow of colours through the hills.

 

And pitstop at the only cafe on route for the last bathroom break before lunch.

The road that snakes up through the Quebrada to ---- metres above sea level is ripio, or gravel and the curves must be taken with care.

After the highpoint,we pass into the parque de cardones, a National Park to protect the cacti, some of which are 500 years old.

To show how this paisaje is so like the American Wild West, imagine it in sepia tone.

There is a brief stop in the National Park to purchase spices and locally produced jams from the people

Then we hit the mythical Ruta 40, the road that travels 5000km along the spine of the Andes from the Bolivian Border to the tip of South America in Tierra del Fuego before finally arriving in the remote village of Cachi

Cachi is a tiny place surrounded by mountains at ---above sea level. The people are lovely with simple lives that can induce a strong wake-up call in some Westerners who visit - It can be like travelling back in time a couple of centuries.

 

We leave Cachi and return to Payogasta for lunch at our favourite hotel,the Sala de Payogasta. The view from the rooms is heavenly and there is the option to stay overnight, maybe hike the next day and continue on to Cafayate a day or two  later.

The outdoor parilla serves delicious grilled local kid- the four-legged kind and homemade goat cheese.

The change in the landscape is very noticeable when we come back down into the valley from the puna.