Day 01
Salta to Cachi through Lerma Valley and Cardones National Park
- Meet your tour guide at the agreed-upon location in Salta and begin the day by visiting the towns in the Valley of Lerma, passing through Cerrillos, La Merced, El Carril, and Chicoana.
- Access the Quebrada de Escoipe after 40 km, a place of singular landscapes marked by striking colours and geological formations from the pre-Andean orogeny.
- Continue through Los Torreones and El Maray (1,800 m), then begin the ascent to Piedra del Molino (3,348 m) in just 22 km. Along the Cuesta del Obispo, the landscape transforms, and on the way you will reach Cardones National Park, the only high-altitude park in Argentina.
- Stop for photographs at Mal Cante, Cuesta del Obispo, Valle Encantado, Piedra del Molino, and Recta Tin Tin.
- Travel onward through a desert area, where you may spot local fauna such as guanacos, wild donkeys, eagles, and more.
- Reach Recta Tin Tin, where the park and its vast population of cardones can be seen in all their splendour.
- Proceed to the town of Cachi, located in the northern area of the Calchaquí Valley at an altitude of 2,200 m. The town has a strong colonial imprint that is evident in its architecture. Here, visitors make their first contact with Calchaquí culture, its customs, and traditions. Visit the archaeological museum, and you may take a lunch break (not included).
- Return to Salta in the afternoon after visiting the town and passing through Chicoana, known for its colonial characteristics.
