Cafayate, Salta | North Argentina Trip
If you’re traveling around north Argentina, most likely you’ll end up doing the same route most travelers do. There are 2 main route options most backpackers choose to do while in the Tucuman and Salta provinces: One is Going up to the city of Salta and from there rent a car and go on day-trips to small towns like Cachi and cafayate. Instead of only going for a short visit from Salta to the small towns around, we went for the second option which is climbing up from Tucuman slowly to the small towns: Tafi del Valle, Amaicha del Valle, Cafayate up to Salta.
Cafayate was one of our favorite stops. We only intended on staying here a few days, but this beautiful non touristy town have so much to offer: quaint wineries, amazing views, fresh air, wonderful people and of course the amazing Casa Arbol hostel we stayed at. so eventually we decided to settle down and we ended up staying for a full two weeks
Cafayate
Located in northern Argentina in the Salta province, Cafayate is a popular spot for wine production. The pathways around town were all very scenic, and the houses and shops that dot the streets of the town were friendly and charming.
The town itself was tranquil with a relaxed, small-town feel to it. We loved the fact that it was a spot where we could rest, take the time to relax a bit from the road and also to get some work done with Wi-Fi which was surprisingly good for a small town!
Casa Arbol
Casa Arbol was recommended to us by our friend from A La Gurda Hostel in Tucuman and I loved this place from the moment we stepped in!
This cute little hostel is located just one block away from the plaza center and at the heart of all the town’s wineries (bodegas) and mountain views.
The hostel has such a cozy and inviting vibe to it: Beautiful patio and living area, big garden and a bar serving delicious pizzas, empanadas and Argentine wine.
The garden and courtyard was our favorite place, where we used to work or hang out with friends, sipping wine and eating local artisan cheese.
We booked a private room which was super comfortable with authentic decor and suited the mood of the Argentine relaxing countryside vibe that surrounded us.
Tours
One of the best things we did was renting bikes and riding around town. The roads were open and there’s almost no traffic so we could ride on the highway and around the vineyards, which was an amazing experience.
We road to the Domingo Molina, a popular and beautiful bodega (winery) up the hill, where we had a fun tour, drinking wine and enjoying the fresh air and breathtaking view.
We also visited a local cheese factory, which was quite a unique experience that we weren’t expecting.
At our last day we went on a day-trip with a taxi driving on route 68 between Cafayate and Salta along the Las Conchas River.
Some of the main stops and tourist attractions were: The Devil’s Throat, The Amphitheater, The Obelisk, The Toad, The Friar, Las Ventanas (The Windows) and the Tres Cruces .
Nadin and Federico
Yes, these two were so amazing they deserve a special mention from us. Everything we did on our extended stay was thanks to these two; they were so sweet and helpful. You can certainly tell they’ve been the best in the business for awhile – they kept the hostel spotless, our daily breakfast was delicious (and one of the best we’ve had in north Argentina), and most importantly, they were the ones that recommended and helped us arrange all these great tours. They’ve made our stay in Cafayate an amazing one!
A small bit of advice to any fast-paced travelers; be prepared to stay longer than intended, you’ll love it here! We sure did! Can’t recommend this place enough!
