Welcome to Cafayate
Argentina’s second center for quality wine production, Cafayate is a popular tourist destination but still has a tranquil small-town feel. It’s good-looking territory, with the green of the vines backed by soaring mountains beyond, and is one of northwest Argentina’s most seductive destinations. With a selection of excellent accommodations for every budget, and several wineries – from boutique upstarts to burly behemoths – to visit in and around town, it invites an extended stay.
Top experiences in Cafayate
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Cafayate activities
Full-day Cafayate, Lerma Valley, and Wine Tasting from Salta
Following pickup at your hotel in Salta, begin this 12-hour tour by traveling in a minibus south along Provincial Route 68 through the Valley of Lerma including Cerrillos, La Merced, El Carril, Coronel Moldes, and La Viña. As the agricultural landscape unfolds, enjoy views of tobacco fields and stop to watch the traditional processing of this important crop using modern facilities and traditional clay chimneys. The tour continues through Alemania town with its distinctive red mountains and natural rock formations including The Devil´s Throat, The Amphitheater, House of the Parrots, Castles, Titanic, The Windows, The Obelisk, and The Friar. Finally, in Cafayate town, visit wineries to taste wine and learn some of the secrets of Salta´s wine making legacy including the world-famous torrontes grape variety.After lunch (additional cost), head back to your hotel in Salta via Route 68 as evening light transforms the landscape you enjoyed in the morning.
Cafayate and Calchaqui Winery Tour from Salta
After hotel pickup by your local guide, your day trip begins by heading out of town on Route 68 toward Cafayate, about 120 miles (190 km) south of Salta. Drive through the Lerma Valley, stopping after about 90 minutes for a coffee break in Posta de las Cabras or La Viña. Continue your drive all the way down into the Calchaquí Valley (Valles Calchaquíes), a series of striking valleys, rivers and gorges spread across Salta and its neighboring provinces that’s on UNESCO’s tentative list to become a World Heritage site. Reach the villages of Talapampa and Alemania at the entrance to Quebrada de las Conchas (Gorge of the Shells), which you’ll drive through, stopping four times to admire its various rock formations and canyons, such as Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) and the Amphitheater (Amfiteatro). Finally, arrive in Cafayate, where you have a 1-hour break to enjoy lunch. You may eat with your guide at a local restaurant reserved for the tour (restaurants vary by day), find your own restaurant on the town square or, if you brought a packed lunch with you, find a nice spot to enjoy a picnic (lunch is at your own expense). After lunch, meet back up with your guide and group to head to a local winery.The exact winery visited on your tour varies by day; you may visit a vineyard such as Domingo Hermanos, El Tránsito or Vasija Secreta. Take a 15- to 25-minute tour of the winery, perhaps seeing the vineyards or barreling facilities, and learn about the winemaking process in Cafayate. Then enjoy a tasting of three to four wines including varietals such as torrontés (the region’s signature white varietal), malbec, cabernet or mistela (a dessert wine). After your tasting, head back to Salta the way you came. Your day trip ends with hotel drop-off.Note: If there is time, you may visit a second winery before returning to Salta.
Cafayate: Lerma Valley, Quebrada de las Conchas, Wine Tasting
Your day trip starts in the early morning as you leave Salta and head through the Lerma Valley, passing by historical towns along the way. Stop at Quebrada de las Conchas (the Shell's Gorge), where natural erosion over many years has carved out curious shapes in the rocks, including named rock features like the Amphitheater, Devil's Throat, the Toad, and the Castles.When you arrive in the small town of Cafayate, known for its wine production, take in the views of vineyards and mountains that create a majestic backdrop. Visit a local winery for a tasting and to learn about the production of torrontes, an Argentine white wine with distinctive peach and apricot aromas.Your day trip ends when you return to Salta in the evening.
4-Day Tour of Salta Cafayate and Humahuaca
Day 1: SaltaArrival in Salta. Transfer from the airport to the hotel. Free city tour. Day 2: Salta - Cafayate (B) Driving along the fertile Lerma Valley, you will pass different towns like Cerrillos, La Merced, El Carril and Coronel Moldes. This is an important area for tobacco plantations, as you will see along the road. Arrive at Cafayate, a picturesque village famous for its vineyards. Visit to a winery with wine tasting included. Time for lunch in Cafayate. Tour around the city and markets. In the afternoon, return to Salta through Las Conchas Gorge, stopping in “Posta de las Cabras”, famous producer of goat cheese. Day 3: Salta - Humahuaca (B) Depart at 6:45am from your hotel. On the way to Humahuaca, go through different villages like Volcán, Tumbaya and Maimará. Once in Purmamarca, a village famous for the "Cerro de los Siete Colores” (Seven Colors Hill), you will have time to visit the handicraft market and take a walk around the village. After a short bus ride you'll get Tilcara, where you visit the Archeological Museum and the Pucará, the amazing indigenous ruins. After leaving Tilcara, you will get to Humahuaca. Take some free time to walk around and have lunch. In the afternoon, return to Salta through San Salvador de Jujuy, where you will get to see the main attractions of the city. Day 4: Salta (B) Transfer form your Salta hotel to the airport.
Cafayate: 2-Day-Trip from Salta City
On this tour you will discover one of the most breathtaking landscapes that Salta offers, “La Quebrada de las Conchas”. Fist you head south through the Provincial Route Number 68, where you will see Cerrillos, La Merced, El Carril, Coronel Moldes and La Viña, all of which make up the Valley of Lerma, an agricultural and farming area whose main production is tobacco. Afterwards you will pass Alemania Town, and in this part of the tour you will witness different colors, red mountains and rocks natural formations. In Cafayate Tow you will visit one or two Wineries, to learn and discover the secrets of Salta's wines, mainly the well-known Torrontes variety. After the visit to the winery you will be taken to your hotel where you will be spending the night. Here you can enjoy some free time until the activities of the next day start. On the following day you will be picked up from your hotel in Cafayate (Close to 3:30 PM). On the way back to Salta City, through Route Number 68 you will experience a completely different landscape from the one you saw on the first day.
HORSE & POLO Trip in Balcarce Argentina
Run and owned by international 4 goal polo player, Oscar Mancini, Polo Farm is the place to learn and improve your polo. You have a choice of over 40 ponies to play during your stay … and if you happen to fall in love with one you can even bring it home with you! Whether you are an experienced player or just starting, we offer a unique polo holiday that will that cater to both your riding ability and polo experience. With one-to-one tuition, instructional chukkas or low, medium or high goal tournaments to chose from, you are bound to have improved your game ten fold. If it’s not just polo you are after, we’ll take you to watch the gaucho’s breaking in the potros, take you to salsa classes or visit the local spas. With the warm temperature and beautiful surroundings at Los Techos, this is sure to be a mind and body experience.Escape the winter blues this year and join us for plenty of sun, delicious al campo style cuisine, fabulous polo and the memories of a once in a lifetime adventure. We offers private polo lessons for horseback riders of all abilities, from never-ever beginners to experienced equestrians. Horse and rider in harmony, they pound across the turf and jostle for position—a mass of muscle, speed and sweat battling for a swing at one small ball.