Weekend trips The Calchaquí Valleys are geologically spectacular. The scenery they offer is of unparalleled beauty. Scattered along the 200-mile route are sleepy towns, which date back to the colonial period. One of them, Cafayate, is the home of Salta's well-known wine-producing families like the Tormos and the Etcharts. Large colonial haciendas dating back to the period of the great mule rides stretch along the valleys reaching the great silver mines of Potosí along a winding highway.

A one-hour drive north of Salta takes you to Quebrada de Humahuaca, a beautifui and historic valley declared one of the World's Heritage Sites by UNESCO.The Spanish originally made their way from Cuzco to Argentina and Chile through it and some of the most important battles between Argentina's Independence forces and Spain's army took place here. The Quebrada is famous for its spectacular prehistoric sites, known as Pucarás, and for the traditional adobe towns, such as Purmamarca, Tilcara, Huacalera, and Humahuaca. The Quebrada has inspired a rich legacy of art, literature and music by local creators or by outsiders spellbound by the beauty and culture of the place.