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Northwest Argentina: Altitude Wines & Andean Flavors
Discover Northwest Argentina, where stunning desert landscapes, colorful colonial towns, and remote vineyards create a breathtaking escape. Sip world-class wines and unwind in charming, hidden retreats.
SPECIAL OFFER
8.4*
ECO SCORE
10
PASSENGERS
10
DAYS
3/5
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Argentina: Drink It In
Argentina has many distinctive regions, and this trip will take you to NW Argentina, a region nestled in the Andes Mountains, the world’s longest continental mountain chain. Unbelievable variety is commonplace in Argentina’s northwest: jaw-dropping mountain vistas; canyons that turn polychromatic in the sunlight; lush cloud forests; and Andean salt pans, like great mirrors, that reflect haunting and beautiful skyscapes. Humans have done their best to complement nature’s aesthetic touch with their colorful colonial towns, textiles, and miles of lonely roads leading down mythic valleys. Both indigenous and colonial traditions remain strong in Argentina, and in its rural communities, the rhythm of life has remained unchanged for generations.
This trip combines short walks, wine tasting, colonial style boutique hotels and local food. The remoteness of the destination will allow visitors to be on their own during the morning walks, and with just a few other visitors at wineries and small hotels.
Travel Curator’s Insights:
- • Enjoy a rare opportunity to try sparkling wine made from Argentina’s indigenous Torrontés grapes, crafted using traditional methods.
• Hike through an extraordinary canyon with dramatic rock formations and breathtaking views on Argentina's legendary Route 40.
• Unwind in small, handpicked, boutique hotels that emphasize fabulous food and wine.
SPECIAL OFFER
Rates:
From $4,325 per person
Policies and protocols provided before you book.
Custom dates to fit your schedule;
November to January: Vines are sprouting.
February to April: Harvest time
May: Autumn, sun dried peppers and tomatoes
September – October: late Spring, end of the dry season.
Inquire with your preferred dates.
Custom dates, year-round;
Hover here for more information.
Departures:
Trip Sustainability Awards
CARBON
Fantastic advances in minimizing carbon footprints at locations.
ENERGY
On the East African Energy Renewal Board
EDUCATION
Runs local educational facilities for children.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Northwest Argentina
Arrive at the Salta airport during the early afternoon. This is one of the biggest cities in the region, founded in 1582 for its strategic location as a supply center for the Spanish silver mines in Potosí, current day Bolivia. The city has an eclectic mix of neo-colonial, Italianate and Spanish style. Your guide and private transport will greet you at the local airport for a short 20-minute drive to your hotel, located on a quiet street at 10-minute walk from the main square.
After you check in to your hotel, you'll have time to freshen up before a walk around the city center and visit the MAAM (High Mountain Archaeological Museum) and the Explora Museum to start off this trip with an introduction to local culture and history. During the evening, your guide will brief you about the next days while you enjoy the typical empanadas salteñas with local altitude wine.
Included Meals: Welcome drinks
Accommodation: El Bodeguero (1 night)
Day 2: Salta to Cafayate
Morning departure on a three-hour drive through stunning landscape through the Quebrada de las Conchas also known as the “Gorge of the Shells” due to the marine fossils it contains. This drive connects two valleys, the lower Lerma Valley with the high and dry Calchaquí Valley, on a tentative list to become a World Heritage Site. We stop along the way for a walk through these colourful mountains and sandstone formations designed by water and wind, to better explore the formations and take stunning photos. We will stop for a regional lunch before an afternoon check in to your hotel in Cafayate, freshen up before a visit to El Esteco Winery, in the same grounds as the hotel. Enjoy a free time at the hotel before dinner with pairing at La Rosa restaurant with wines or El Esteco Winery.
The Calchaquí Valley, with the town of Cafayate at its centre, is a legendary place while at the same time one of those hidden corners on Earth. Its strategic location between the lower temperate and abundant valleys and the high cold mountains that provided salt and minerals is essential to understand the region’s lengthy history. During pre-Hispanic times, the people who lived in this Valley shaped one of the most advanced cultures of present-day Argentina. Their sedentary ways, which brought improvements in agriculture, irrigation, food storage and animal domestication, thrived in the Calchaquí region and its areas of influence.
When the Inca Empire expanded its dominion towards the South of the continent, it annexed this Valley to their realm, but never quite subdued its people. Soon after, when the first Spanish Conquistadores arrived in the mid sixteenth century, they were encountered by people who fought against them during one hundred years before they could finally settle down in the Valley. A century later, the nutritious pastures of the estancias would feed the mules and cattle sent off to the Spanish silver mines of the Alto Peru in present day Bolivia; to later do the same with the cattle to feed the thousands of workers at the Anglo-Chilean saltpetre (nitrate) mines. By the late nineteenth century, the railroad had arrived to the northern cities but not to Calchaquí, that remained isolated guarding its beauty and traditions to itself. Now, with the dawning of the twenty-first century, the soulful valleys are being rediscovered.
Walking: 2 hours on a sandy terrain, mostly flat with a very short optional climb.
Grading: 6 km - Easy - Max altitude 1,700 m.a.s.l. / Min. altitude 1,690 m.a.s.l.
Winery visited: El Esteco
Meals: Breakfast, Box-lunch, & Dinner
Accommodation: Patios de Cafayate (2 nights)
Day 3: Cafayate
Cafayate is the most vibrant and biggest small town in the Calchaquí Valley, owing its growth to the wine industry. The oldest wine region in Argentina, is now a chosen terroir for wine lovers and investors and since late 1990s most wineries produce boutique altitude wines. After breakfast your guide will meet you at the hotel lobby for a morning walk in the mountains west of the valley, to enjoy amazing views and learn how the water that flows for the Andes is managed since pre-Hispanic times.
We then stop at a small family-owned wine project who produce the only sparkling wine made from Torrontés grapes in the traditional manual method. We then continue to lunch with pairing at a sustainable winery that has fantastic views of Torrontés and Malbec vineyards. Return to the hotel during the afternoon. In the evening, visit the small town and choose your spot for dinner among some of the small traditional restaurants or trendy wine bars.
Hiking: 2 to 4 hours morning walk on sandy paths located west of Cafayate.
Grading: 6 to 8 km available – Easy to Moderate - Max altitude 1,820 m.a.s.l. / Min. altitude 1,650 m.a.s.l.
Wineries visited: Burbujas de Altura - Amalaya
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch + Tasting
Accommodation: Patios de Cafayate
Day 4: Cafayate to Colomé
Morning drive north on route 40, the longest in Argentina and the backbone of the Calchaquí Valley, and built on an old indigenous road. There will be plenty of opportunities for photos and learning about a culture that blends Andean native traditions with old Spanish colonial ways. Take stunning photos in the Quebrada de las Flechas and stop at the Hacienda de Molinos for a light lunch in an open courtyard. The Hacienda de Molinos is a historical building that dates back to the 1700’s and is perfect example of Spanish architecture and how it adapted to this high Andean Valley.
From there we drive on to Estancia Colomé, a hidden gem in the Calchaquí Valleys, surrounded by one of the most imposing landscapes in Argentina, it is one of the highest vineyards in the world and had has been producing wine since 1831.
After you check in to your room, relax and freshen up, enjoy a welcome drink before walking through vineyards to a late afternoon visit the James Turrell Museum of Light. James Turrell is an American artist known for his installation art within the Light and Space movement. He is considered the "master of light" often creating art installations that mix natural light with artificial color through openings in ceilings thereby transforming internal spaces by ever shifting and changing color.
Walk back to the hotel for a dinner prepared with ingredients for the Colomé biodynamic farm, paired with local altitude wines.
Walking: 30 minutes at Quebrada de las Flechas and 30 minutes at Colomé
Grading: 2 km - Easy - Max altitude 2,200 m.a.s.l. / Min. altitude 2,220 m.a.s.l.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Accommodation: Estancia Colomé (2 nights)
Day 5: Colomé Mountains
Bodega Colomé produces certified biodynamic wines and is the result of old Spanish colonial traditions, bought by Donald Hess in 2000 who together with his wife Ursula turned into the first boutique lodging in the area. They not only pioneered in the Valley’s high-end hospitality industry but also in social responsibility and sustainability. Colomé has a deep respect for the people, the land and the culture and since its initial operations it has worked in the conservation of the natural resources through sustainable practices.
During our morning walk we will hike on Andean sandy paths and see how this desert has become an oasis through water management and biodynamic farming by generating its own fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation. We leave in the morning for a hike into the Andes, on endless stony paths. Picnic lunch. Return and enjoy the pool and property before visiting the winery to learn about altitude wines.
Colomé’s winemaker Thibauth Delmotte says about their wines: "Our winemaking philosophy is first to respect everything: the land, the altitudes, the vine, the grape, and also the people who will be enjoying our wines. We always allow for the distinct expression of the place and altitude to come through year after year. The Calchaqui Valley is very generous so this makes our work a little easier”
Dinner at your favourite table on the hotel veranda.
Hiking: 3 hours in the Andes Mountains
Grading: 8 to 10 km - Moderate - Max altitude 2,900 m.a.s.l. / Min. altitude 2,700 m.a.s.l.
Winery: Bodega Colomé
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Accommodation: Estancia Colomé
Day 6: Colomé to Cachi
Today we continue north in the Calchaquí Valley, our destination is the small village of Cachi, a whitewashed gem that stands still in time at the foot of the Cachi Mountain, the highest Andean summit in the Calchaquí Valley at 20,800 ft. creating the most imposing views you will enjoy from your hotel. Along the way we will drive through the smaller town of Seclantás and from there along the Ruta de los Artesanos, where local weavers have looms set up in their front yards where they create handmade ponchos, shawls and Andean wool rugs in sheep and llama wool.
We continue to Cachi, arriving at the small town for a fresh lunch with local ingredients on a small restaurant close to the main square, set in an old adobe house. Afternoon check in at your hotel set amidst mountains surrounded by agriculture fields of tomatoes, peppers and potatoes, managed by the local people in traditional style. We then go out for a walk, on dust trails that zigzag through fields and lined by old elm and willow trees and a tasting at Bodega Isasmendi, a family-run project that produces a micro vinification of approximately 12,000 bottles of wine per year. This small amount allows us to ferment in bins of 400 kg of grapes and have practices such as manual punching down, constant observation and care of the fermenting must that it is evident in the final product.
Return to the hotel for a relaxed evening, dinner at their restaurant.
Walking: 1 hour on a flat trail through small agriculture plots.
Grading: 4 km – Easy - Max altitude 2,300 m.a.s.l. / Min. altitude 2,250 m.a.s.l.
Winery: Bodega Isasmendi
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: La Merced del Alto (1 night)
Day 7: Cachi to Salta
After a relaxed breakfast we start our way down from the high desert to the lower Lerma green valley. Drive through Los Cardones National Park, roads built following the tracks of the Inca Trail and through millions of giant cacti or cardones. At the mountain pass of Piedra del Molino, at 11,200 ft. we leave the Calchaqui Valley. The road that winds down is called the Cuesta del Obispo and will gift us with a morning of stunning views as we transition for high pastures to Yungas sub-tropical forest. After a short stop for a coffee in the small town of Chicoana located in the heart of tobacco growing area, continue to your next lodge for lunch on the verandah. Afternoon at the lodge to enjoy the spa, swimming pool, walk around their grounds or take a horse ride in gaucho style.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: House of Jasmines (1 night)
Day 8: Salta to Purmamarca
Late morning departure from your hotel and drive north following the old colonial times’ ‘Camino Real’ or Royal Road that connected Lima, Peru to Buenos Aires in Argentina. Drive under a green canopy of the Yungas, a cloud forest. Stop for lunch at a small boutique restaurant whose chef creates Italian style cuisine with Andean ingredients, paired with local wines and located just out of the city of Jujuy. After lunch continue north for 1 hour towards Purmamarca, a town located at the foot of the Seven Colour Mountain in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. A cultural and natural Unesco WHS, this Quebrada is a natural passageway with a north-south direction, winding through the Zenta Mountain range on its eastern side separating it from the Yungas jungle ; and the Oriental Andes on its western side, separating it from the Altiplano or Puna.
It is dotted with small villages or hamlets of adobe small houses. Its rich soil produces vegetables that are naturally organic due to the altitude weather and mountain conditions. Andean culture dominates with small differences between this region, the Bolivian highlands and southern Peru. Colored woven rugs replicate the colors of the landscape, people breed llamas for wool, meat and to use as pack animals. Vicuñas and guanacos are wild animals that have the finest hair used for the finest woven goods.
During the afternoon walk around the small village and explore the small shops with Andean crafts and llama wool goods. Suggested dinner at the hotel, its kitchen is managed by one of the best chefs in the region and paired by Quebrada de Humahuaca wines.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Manantial del Silencio (2 nights)
Day 9: Quebrada de Humahuaca
Today we explore the area combining cultural exploration and learning with altitude wine and food experiences. Drive north in the Quebrada, getting closer to the Bolivian border. We stop at the village of Tilcara, vibrant in the morning with people buying fresh vegetables in the market. We visit the Pucará de Tilcara, the best-preserved archaeological site, dating to pre-Hispanic times when the Omaguaca original inhabitants of the land fought back the Spanish conquistadores from this fortified location. Two hundred years later, the Quebrada was also the site of most of the battles for independence.
After a morning of walking through archaeology and history we continue north for wine and goat cheese tasting at Casa Mocha. Then continue to lunch at one of the newest wineries in NW Argentina, located at the foot of the namesake Yacoraite Mountain. Afternoon drive up to the Serranías del Hornocal to see the 14 colored mountain in the afternoon sun. Return to the hotel for a relaxed evening, and you can chose to have dinner here or walk to one of the small local restaurants in town.
Winery: Yacoraite Vineyards – Bodega El Bayeh at Casa Mocha
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Manantial del Silencio
Day 10: Salinas Grandes
Today we drive over the Oriental side of the Andes mountains, going into the Puna or Altiplano high plateau. The Altiplano extends from the Titicaca Lake on the border between Peru and Bolivia to Catamarca in NW Argentina. This closed in high, desert basin is dotted by salt flats and saline lagoons. Our destination for the day is Salinas Grandes, a huge white expanse where we will walk with the local community to learn how they mine salt and live in this extreme environment. We will have a gourmet lunch on a restaurant located in a surreal location, in the middle of a white salt expanse. Afternoon drive back to the lower valleys via the Cuesta de Lipán. Stop at the hotel to pick up your bags and continue to Jujuy airport for a late afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires and further connections.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Rates
Questions?
Whether you’re a wine aficionado or are seeking out spectacular landscapes, Northwest Argentina is an up and coming destination sure to delight you. This operator takes great care to employ local people and support their communities as much as they can.
Joy Martinello, Founder
Questions?
What’s Included & Cancellation Policy:
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
Lodging in Superior Rooms w/breakfast at mentioned hotels; Transport private with driver and guide with water and snacks in vehicle; Lunch when mentioned with water and one glass of altitude wine; Dinners when mentioned with water and two glasses of Argentine wine; Six altitude wine tastings; Local culture activities and walking with local community guides.
NOT INCLUDED:
Meals not mentioned ; Room service and other hotel expenses; Activities not mentioned; Changes to the itinerary; Domestic flights; Travel and medical insurance (required)
