Experience the best of Cafayate

Cafayate lies at the southern end of the Calchaquí Valleys, a sunny, dry corner of north-west Argentina about 1,700 metres above sea level. Low whitewashed buildings surround the Plaza San Martín, a white cathedral stands on one side, and vineyards reach almost to the edge of town. Torrontés, a fragrant white grape, is the flagship wine, alongside Malbec and Tannat.

The road north towards Salta runs through the Quebrada de las Conchas, a gorge of red, orange and green rock with named formations such as the Devil's Throat and the Amphitheatre. South of town, the ruins of Quilmes preserve the stone terraces and walls of a large pre-Hispanic settlement on a hillside above the valley.

Goat cheese, empanadas, humita and tamales fill the markets and restaurants of the town, and Torrontés even flavours the local ice cream. The harvest comes in February and March, and nights stay cool even after sunny summer days.