Argentina4u Review: Cafayate Day Tour

In this week's edition, our Brand Manager & Graphic Designer Ruben Sánchez, shares his experience of traveling to the province of Salta a makes a review of the Cafayate day tour with Argentina4u. Ruben lists Cafayate Day Tour as one of the top activities to do in Salta, read full story to find out why.

Booking a Cafayate day tour or backpacking?

"If you’re traveling solo to Salta, and you want to experience the beauty and natural landmarks of Northern Argentina in a limited amount of time while meeting new people, I think a day tour to Cafayate will definitely hit the spot. From the tour guide to my tour companions, I shared the day with amazing people and we shared interesting, adventurous and unforgettable moments together. When you travel alone you forget to mingle with the locals and tend to stick with other travelers from the hostel, but by taking this tour I had the chance to feel how the Salteños (Salta natives) truly embrace their culture; our guide’s passion and enthusiasm was contagious, he didn't seem like he was just working, he was sharing his land’s treasures with us ever so passionately".

[caption id="attachment_988" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Quebrada De Las Conchas Cafayate / source: Daytours4u[/caption]

Exploring Cafayate in one day

Ruben considered that a day tour to Cafayate is perfect to make the most of its beauty. "A day gives you enough time to explore streets of this Spanish-colonial town and for gastronomy lovers like me.  Some travelers I met stayed in town for one or two nights. They noted that the town was incredibly peaceful, authentic and rustic which was exactly what they were looking for but I had to get to Humahuaca and for a tight itinerary like I had, is just enough.  Nevertheless, if you are wine lover, then you should consider staying in Cafayate one night at least to do wine tasting in places like the Finca Las Nubes and learn more about the  Torrontés and the high altitud wines of Salta".

[caption id="attachment_943" align="aligncenter" width="540"] The Amphitheatre rock formation, on the way to Cafayate | source: Daytours4u[/caption]

 Cafayate Day Tour main landmarks

The Cafayate day tour is nothing short of incredible, says Ruben, as you pass through some of the most awesome desert scenery in the world. Along the way to Cafayate from Salta, we stopped at the Quebrada de las Conchas to see incredible rock formations such as the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo), the "Amphitheater", "The Titanic" or "The Toad" named by the locals for the different shapes they take.

[caption id="attachment_946" align="aligncenter" width="540"] “The Titanic” Rock formation on the way to Cafayate | source: Daytours4u[/caption]

After passing the rock formations and before arriving to our destination, the landscape changes dramatically  with the amazing view of the Valles Calchaquies.

[caption id="attachment_938" align="aligncenter" width="540"] One of Cafayate’s spectacular Vineyards. El Esteco Vineyard became one of the highlights on the road from Salta to Cafayate | source: Daytours4u[/caption]

On the road, the scenery was amazing. From the moment you reach the "Quebrada de las Conchas", the mountains and the colors made me think I was in a scene from "Lord of the Rings”. Coming from a country with so much green like Colombia, this scenery was something new for me. The whole experience was very interesting and unique overall.

The Cafayate Day tour itinerary

We were picked up at our hotel in Salta at 7am. It was a van for 5 people including the driver who was our guide as well. Being a small group of people made the atmosphere fun and more casual and due to the intimacy of the tour, we all ended up becoming friends.

It took about 6 hours in total to get to the town of Cafayate. Along the way we had a few stops, some to capture the amazing landscape and some others to experience a local activity. We stopped  for a morning coffee to try Salta's famous goat’s cheese in a traditional house along the way. We also stopped to visit Vasija Secreta, an infamous local winery where we could take a tour inside the wine production rooms and see how they blend old and new production wine techniques.

[caption id="attachment_940" align="aligncenter" width="540"] La Vasija Secreta – One of the Vineyards visited along the way | source: Daytours4u[/caption]

We arrived to Cafayate at noon, right on time to choose one of the lovely restaurants around the town square and enjoyed a traditional lunch. After the lunch, we had free time to explore the town so I went to visit the Grape and Wine Museum while the others took advantage of this time to do some souvenirs shopping -Cafayate’s handicrafts and designs are quite elaborate and beautiful and are made ​​mostly of pure lama wool-.  Before getting on the bus we all indulged in some of the local ice cream that Cafayate is famous for - the wine ice cream.

[caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Cafayate’s Beautiful Town Square | source: Daytours4u[/caption]

But the Cafayate Day Tour didn't end in our way back to Salta.  Around 4:30pm we started to head back to the Salta Capital but the road surprised us with different tones near the sunset, The mountain tops and valleys were painted a fiery red with the arrival of sunset a very romantic setting to set your imagination soaring before heading back to the hotel to get ready for another adventure.

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By: Kathy