Reply To: Help for my South American (in)sanity

[AFKAE]

davefl wrote:

Ok, I’m getting towards the end of the plan, next question for those that have been to Salta/Cafayate.

I have 3.5 days (Yes I know it’s not long enough to do everything 🙁 ) and have to be in Salta on the final night because my bus leaves at 6am the following day. Do I:

a) Get a car and spend a night in Cafayate, 1 night in Molinos and back via Cachi like this = https://maps.app.goo.gl/TqkjCNvDe4QdGcb48 I’m looking at the roads on streetview and they seem good apart from some gravel parts of R40 which look no worse than I handled in South Africa in a Suzuki Saloon.

b) Just base myself in Salta for 4 nights and do 3 x 12 hour small group tours to Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca, one to Cachi and one to Cafayate.

Any opinions on the train to the clouds?

I would probably go for option b) as you get a bit more variety. Salinas Grandes is an excellent excursion as is Purmamarca where you can see the multi coloured hills. The drive along R40 through Cachi is spectacular on a road which is lined with cactuses (cacti?) and is good dirt road construction, feels like something out of an old John Wayne film. Cachi is a pleasant place to visit.

If you take option a), I think you’ll find the road is fine. The bits we did were all very passable in a saloon car, in fact you’ll probably pass several on the trip.