2 days · 1 night · private
Calchaquí Valleys Express
Cardón forests, colonial Cachi and the high-altitude vineyards of Cafayate, sleeping in the valley.
USD 1,066 for 1 to 4 travellers
Day-by-day itineraryTravel guide · Cachi
Cachi: Cuesta del Obispo, Los Cardones & Route 40
Cachi is a colonial town of white adobe houses at 2,531 m in the Calchaquí Valleys, 163 km from Salta (about 3 h 20 min). The road climbs the Cuesta del Obispo, mostly gravel, to 3,348 m at Piedra del Molino, then crosses Los Cardones National Park on the paved Recta del Tin Tin. From Cachi, Route 40 runs 156 km south to Cafayate.
- From Salta
- 163 km on RP 33, about 3 h 20 min
- Highest point
- Piedra del Molino, 3,348 m
- Town altitude
- 2,531 m
- On to Cafayate
- 156 km on Route 40, about 4 h
- Time to stay
- 1 to 3 days
What is the Cuesta del Obispo like?
A road of about 20 km that climbs in switchbacks from the Quebrada de Escoipe to Piedra del Molino, at 3,348 m. It is mostly gravel, wide and maintained. Near the top, the Valle Encantado has coloured hills, rock formations and small lagoons.
What is Los Cardones National Park?
A park of 64,117 ha created in 1996, named after the cardón, a giant columnar cactus. The paved RP 33 crosses it for about 38 km, and its long straight stretch is the Recta del Tin Tin, with viewpoints and short trails by the road.
What is there to see in Cachi?
White adobe houses with iron-grilled windows; the church on the main square, a National Historic Monument with a ceiling of cardón wood; and the Pío Pablo Díaz archaeological museum, with more than 5,000 pieces. To the west rises the Nevado de Cachi, 6,356 m, the highest peak of the Calchaquí Valleys.
How do I continue on Route 40?
South to Cafayate it is 156 km, about 4 hours, through Seclantas, Molinos and the Quebrada de las Flechas. Some stretches are gravel, sand or dirt and can become impassable after heavy rain. Fill up in Cachi: with Cafayate and San Antonio de los Cobres, it is one of the few fuel stops on Route 40 in Salta.
Sources: Cuesta del Obispo, Los Cardones, Cachi and the Nevado de Cachi: Wikipedia and argentina.travel. Route 40: Welcome Argentina and La Política Online. Fuel: Turismo Ruta 40. Times: Google Maps.
Travel with Pablo
See it on a private trip
Pablo's Calchaquí Valleys trip goes over the Cuesta del Obispo and through Los Cardones to Cachi, and his 4-day loop sleeps in Cachi before Route 40 to Cafayate.
4 days · 3 nights · private
A Taste of the Argentine Northwest
Cloud forest, the Quebrada de Humahuaca, the Salinas Grandes, Route 40 and the Cafayate wine valleys in one private loop from Salta.
USD 2,132 for 1 to 4 travellers
Day-by-day itineraryMore travel guides: Best time to visit Salta & Jujuy · Altitude sickness in Salta & Jujuy · Self-drive or private guide in Salta · Salta & Jujuy driving distances · El Hornocal guide · Salinas Grandes guide · Cafayate wine guide · Quebrada de Humahuaca guide · 5-day Salta & Jujuy itinerary
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Write to Pablo
Tell him your dates, how many you are and what you'd like to see. Your message opens in WhatsApp, ready to send, and Pablo replies with the itinerary and a quote for your private group.
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- Based inSalta, Argentina · pickup at your hotel or the airport