La Rioja city

Though not obviously touristy, the capital of the province does offer decent accommodation

and is a good starting point for a trip to more remote parts of the province.

Founded in 1591 at the edge of the plains, with views of Sierra de Velasco, La Rioja has a few interesting museums, some neo-colonial houses and the oldest building in the country. Sleepy, and oppressively hot from November to March, the town becomes very lively every day after siesta time and during the celebrations of the local carnivals such as 'chaya' and the 'Tinkunaco'.

, is 5 km northeast of La Rioja city and taxis charge US$4 to the centre. The

, is seven blocks south of the cathedral at Artigas y España. It offers left luggage from 0600 to 2100 (US$1 a day).

The centre of the city is

with its shady tipas, sycamores, araucarias and pine trees. Here, in 1637, the head of the native leader of an insurrection was exhibited as a trophy by the Spaniards. On the plaza is the early 20th-century

with the image of San Nicolás de Bari and a room full of silver offerings.

Other interesting sights on the plaza are the neo-colonial government buildings,

and

, together with the pink building of the

. The oldest surviving church in Argentina is one block northeast, the

. It's a quaint stone temple, sparsely decorated inside but with magnificent carved wooden doors, dating from 1623 and renovated in later centuries. There is a lovely patio in the adjacent convent.

By far the most interesting sight in the town is the the

, which houses one of the most

important collections in the country of pre-Hispanic ceramics in Argentina. These beautiful

pieces were made by the ancient cultures that originally inhabited the region, and include a remarkable funerary urn from the Aguada culture 1500 years ago.

The

, is friendly, helpful and hands out a map of the city. Ask here about accommodation, including rooms with families (

).

The

is the fastest escape from the heat of the city, 10 km west via Route 75. There's a shaded river with campsites and a reservoir amidst lovely mountain scenery. From there, a 13-km dirt track (no shade) leads to the summit of the

(1648 m) with great panoramic views, popular with hang gliders. Seven kilometres west of La Rioja is

, where there is a large, stone temple protecting the adobe remains of what is supposed to have been a Spanish fortress in the 16th century. Route 75 continues north and passes Las Padercitas, before following the

Quebrada for 4 km to the reservoir of Dique Los Sauces. Regular minibuses or

, as they're called here, with

, to Villa Sanagasta from Rivadavia 519,

take you to Quebrada and

, US$1.20.

taxis charge US$7. Some tour operators also run excursions.