Northwest Tucumán province

Tucumán has stunning mountain scenery to the west and north of the province, along the Nevados de Aconquija, where there are several attractive small towns to visit on the way to Salta. Of the two possible routes, Route 9, via Rosario de la Frontera and Güemes is far quicker, but by far one of the most spectacular routes in the whole area is the Ruta 40 to Cafayate and up into the Valles Calchaquíes. The road rises up though verdant Tafí del Valle, over the massive Infiermillo pass and then there are spectacular landscapes all the way to the archaeological site of Quilmes, with the added charms of small towns of Santa María and Amaichá del Valle on the way.

Tafí del Valle

Tafí (2000 m) is a popular weekend retreat from the heat of the city for Tucumanos, since it has a cool microclimate, and makes a good base for walking, with several peaks of the Sierra de Aconquija providing challenging day-hikes. Within the sprawling town itself, you can walk by the Ríos El Churqui and Blanquito and to the Parque de los Menhires, where a collection of 129 engraved granite monoliths stand to the south of an attractive reservoir, the Embalse Angostura, in the valley below. For hikes into the mountains, it's best to go with a guide, available from La Cumbre. There's some excellent accommodation, especially at the upper end of the market, making this an appealing alternative to staying in Tucumán.

Sights

Tafí's most historic building is the attractive Capilla Jesuítica y Museo de La Banda. This 18th-century chapel and 19th-century estanciahas a small museum with interesting finds from the valley and 18th-century religious art. Parque de los Menhires lies in an attractive spot at the south of the Dique la Angostura, 10 km south of the centre of Tafí del Valle. The menhiresare 129 granite stones, engraved with designs of unknown significance, said by some to symbolize fertility. They are undeniably intriguing, however, it's not quite the mystical sight the tourist brochures claim it is, since the stones were unearthed in various places in the valley and put here in 1977. For more information, see www.tafidelvalle.com.

Northwest of Tafí del Valle

One of Argentina's most memorable journeys is along Route 307 northwest from Tafí, climbing out of the valley up to the mountain pass Abra del Infiernillo (3042 m) at Km 130. There are panoramic views south over the Cumbres de Mala Mala, the steeply sided deep green valley below, then breathtaking vistas as you emerge over the pass, looking north over the Cumbres Calchaquíes, purple veiled in the distance, and finally over the dramatic Valles Calchaquíes. The road descends along hairy zigzags to the beautiful rocky landscape of the valley of the Río de Amaichá.

Amaichá del Valle

Claiming rather grandly to have the best climate in the world, Amaichá (1997 m) is a lovely tranquil little place that does indeed always seem to be sunny. There's a splendid museum, the Complejo Pachamama, also known also as Casa de Piedra. The museum was designed by the well-known Argentine sculptor Héctor Cruz, who uses the iconography of the region's pre-Colombian art with bold flair in his own ceramics and weavings. It's part gallery, part archaeological museum, and a great place to relax for a couple of hours, with wonderful views from the mosaic cactus gardens. The shop sells an extensive range of handicrafts, and bold rugs and hangings, designed by Cruz and made by local weavers. There's an important Pachamama festival at the end of Carnival.

Santa María

With its lively village feel, still untainted by tourism, Santa María (1880 m) makes a very attractive place for a stopover on the road to either Tucumán or western Catamarca. There's a lovely plaza full of mature trees, several friendly places to stay and to eat, and a wonderful small museum. The Museo Arqueológico Eric BomanICentro Cultural Yokavil, on the plaza, Mon-Fri 0900-2000, Sat 1000-2000, houses a fine collection of sophisticated ceramics tracing the development of the various indigenous cultures who lived in the Calchaquí valleys. Ask the well-informed staff to show you around. In the same building is a handicrafts gallery selling weavings, wooden objects and the delicious local paterowine.

In January the town has handicrafts fairs and a live music festival, with the crowning of La Reina de Yokavil (the old indigenous name for Santa María). For the Fiesta de San Roqueon 16 August, thousands of pilgrims descend on the town, and accommodation fills up fast.

Quilmes

Quilmes is one of the most important archaeological sites in Argentina, sadly little known by most Argentines, who are more likely to associate the name with the country's most popular lager. Located on the slopes of the Sierra de Quilmes, at an altitude of 1850 m, it has commanding views over the entire valley. The city was home to 5000 Diaguitan people, who lived here peacefully for hundreds of years until the Incas and then the Spanish arrived. What remains today is an extensive network of thousands of roofless rooms bordered with low walls, mostly heavily reconstructed, but walk up to the top of the mountain, and you'll see a beautiful and elaborate lacework which continues right up from the valley to the higher slopes. It's a spectacular site, especially early or late in the day, when the silvery walls are picked out against the pale green of the enormous cacti.