Sightseeing in Salta & horse riding in the Lerma Valley

By: Gyöngyi Molnár Posted: 30/10/2020

We invite you to visit the city of Salta and its old town, which is one of the most interesting in northern Argentina.

Then, we will go for a wonderful horseback ride in the south of Salta, in the Lerma Valley to see its impressive hills and small ancient villages.

What to see in the city of Salta?

The historic centre of the charming city of Salta is one of the most interesting in northern Argentina. Local architecture preserves the colonial style and tourists can enjoy its many museums, churches, historic buildings and villas, which mix age-old beauty together with modernity.

Salta and its plazas

Plazas and urban parks are plentiful in Salta, which humanizes this great city. In the city centre, you can find the best examples of Salta’s colonial architecture – the beautiful pastel-coloured buildings around the Plaza del 9 de julio, the main square, surrounded by trees and songbirds. It is a great spot to go for a walk and seek shelter from the sun’s rays.

Museums in Salta

Of the many museums, I would like to point out the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM) (referred to by its Spanish acronym MAAM) with its exhibition of objects belonging to the Inca culture, which were found throughout the Andes Mountains. Here are the famous mummies of child sacrifices, left at 6,739 metres above sea level, near the peak of Llullaillaco. This is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent times, which dates back more than 500 years, shortly before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

Salta nightlife can be best seen on Balcarce, a lively bar-lined street. Folkloric peñas (music venues) are the cultural heritage of many generations and they invite tourists to get a glimpse of our customs and traditions, which are proudly cultivated and preserved by the people from Salta.

Gaucho Culture

Speaking of culture and customs, our most significant traditions are related to the equine world. Argentines love to ride and travel our country, which has a thousand aspects to feast our eyes.

We guard our gaucho culture and we are happy to share it with you, with all the wisdom we have preserved, developed and cultivated for centuries.

With this in mind, we invite you to discover the Lerma Valley on Peruvian horses, which can adapt to the rugged characteristics of our mountains and take you to splendid places with their gentle ride.

The Lerma Valley

The Lerma Valley is located in the centre of the province of Salta and stretches west and south of the city of Salta. The valley is 62 km long and 30 km wide, and it has an average altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level.

The Lerma Valley is bounded to the north by the Quebrada de Humahuaca, to the southwest by the Quebrada del Toro (the Toro Gorge) and to the south by the Calchaqui Valleys.

In this area, you can find the second largest artificial lake in Argentina, the Cabra Corral Dam ,

The Lerma Valley has very old small villages, with colonial houses and large cattle and tobacco farms.

In addition, these farms offer incredible horseback riding, trekking and other outdoor activities around these beautiful hills. We will visit some other important places, such as Guachipas and Chicoana, to mention just a few.

Guachipas, a charming small village

Stroll the magical streets of Guachipas – the best way to admire the old colonial houses around its main square. The Church of the Immaculate Conception is one of the most beautiful of our province. It was built by the Jesuits on an elevated part of the village.

Guachipas is one of the places in Salta with the greatest gaucho stamp. People zealously guard and respect their traditions. Country life, livestock farming and crop fields is something you can see in every corner of Guachipas.

The Painted Caves of Las Juntas

This is another amazing place you can visit in the province of Salta. One of the most important archaeological treasures of our country is preserved here, 30 kilometres from the town of Guachipas. That is the Painted Caves of Las Juntas, which are also known as the Caves of Guachipas.

In 1965, thirty-three hangouts with cave paintings were discovered, dated between 900 and 1470. This was a place of Sun worship. To access the caves, there is a path that goes up to the hangouts of Las Juntas.

These caves, together with the remains of different indigenous settlements, are clear proofs of the degree of civilization reached by native people in the present-day territory of Salta.

In the paintings, we can see abstract forms, but the predominant motifs are scenes and characters of everyday life, religious ceremonies, warriors and animals such as suris (rheas), jaguars, birds, insects and llamas that are anthropomorphic figures with a great range of shapes, colours and styles.

The cave paintings of Guachipas were proclaimed as National Historic Monument.

Estancia of the Diez Family

If we continue with our horseback route, we will reach the Estancia of the Diez Family, a working farm.

It is located in La Junta, which is part of Guachipas, near the place where the Caves of Guachipas are located.

Inside this cattle ranch, we can explore beautiful landscapes where many wild animals, like condors, can be found. We can participate in rural tasks and learn about cattle farming.

We will ride around the estancia of the Diez Family on Peruvian horses discovering its stunning surroundings. The owners couldn’t be happier to be your hosts during your overnight stay on their ranch.

Sajama

One afternoon, we will head for Sajama, going deep into valleys and ravages. These places can only be reached on horseback.

We will embark on an exciting challenge that only a few have the courage to accept. During this journey, we will camp for one night.

Chicoana, a traditional village

Chicoana is a small traditional village with splendid old mansions, an ideal place to immerse yourself in gaucho traditions and enjoy typical Argentine food. It is located in the south-west of the Lerma Valley, 47 kilometres from the capital of the province.

The equestrian centre of Ampascachi Horse Riding Holidays is based at a property called La Casa de Tradición. This is where we keep our Peruvian horses and it also houses the headquarters of the squadron of Gauchos led by Colonel Luis Burela.

The hospitality of local people makes this town especially charming and thanks to its ever-present gaucho culture, it’s ideal for horseback riding. In the midst of incredible landscapes, you will learn a lot about the traditions of Salta. On horseback, you’ll feel part of this gaucho location in the Lerma Valley.

The Church of San Pablo de Chicoana is gorgeous. Inside, there are works of art from the Hispanic era. Among them, you can see 18th-century paintings from Cuzco, the crucified Christ and La Dolorosa (Virgin of Sorrows), from the 19th century. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Patron Saint, is venerated in this church.

The Lerma Valley will surprise you with its multi-coloured natural landscapes. As you explore this incredible place, you will see how the scenery changes colours, from very intense green to red – the colour of the foothills of the Calchaqui Valleys.

Exploring the Calchaqui Valley

From Samaja, we will ride back to the house of Estancia Diez, where we’ll leave our horses and travel to Cafayate by car.

From there, the new leg of our trip will take us to Angastaco, Molinos, Seclantás and Cachi. Then, we will go back to Salta down the Cuesta del Obispo (the Bishop’s Slope), a vertiginous descent that offers breath-taking views of the landscape.

Cafayate, a wine region

Cafayate, a small town in the Calchaqui Valleys, is renowned for the quality of its wines. Here you can visit different wineries, such as the Esteco or the Piattelli vineyards, where they grow a particular grape variety of the northern region.

After visiting the wineries, we will enjoy a unique spectacle of multi-coloured mountains and strange geological formations such as the Amphitheatre, the Devil's Throat and the Toad Rock in the Quebrada de las Conchas (the Conchas River Ravine). These amazing places are probably the most sought-after tourist attractions.

El Anfiteatro

El Anfiteatro (The Amphitheatre) is another must-see in Salta. This natural formation is something you cannot miss if you travel here. Its acoustic characteristics are incredible and many renowned singers have performed in this amazing place.

La Garganta del Diablo

One of the most colourful roads in Argentina is Route 68. The strange rock formations surprise everyone. Among all those impressive places, there is a deep, enclosed canyon: La Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat). It is one of the most popular tourist attractions of our province.

Cachi

Cachi is a small village in Salta’s Calchaqui Valleys, at 2,531 meters above sea level. It is located at the foot of the Nevado de Cachi, a mountain that dominates the views, and on the banks of the Calchaqui River. Its typical adobe houses and white colonial buildings can be found everywhere. The church of San José, in the centre of the village, was built during the Spanish colonial era.

After seeing Cachi, we travel back to Salta – which was our starting point – along the Cuesta del Obispo, where we can enjoy some stunning views. Thousands of images, experiences, smells and flavours that we will be etched into our memory forever.

The program “Salta and Lerma Valley on horseback”
is full of history, culture and traditions of the gauchos in northern Argentina.

A unique experience that will surely enrich your equestrian spirit!

Do you like Argentina as your next horse riding holiday destination?

We encourage you to download the catalog of our horseback riding tours in Northern, Central and Western Argentina. Discover Argentina on the back of a Peruvian horse and with our team of equestrian tourism experts.

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