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

[JDB]

I would definitely go for option a)! The drive from
Salta to Cafayate (Quebrada de las Conchas) is absolutely spectacular – allow more time than Google maps says as you will want to stop at several points. The road is paved all the way but windy and subject to flash flooding.

The road from Cafayate to Molinos (Quebrada de las Flechas) is equally spectacular but very different. That road isn’t made after about 10km from Cafayate, so is pretty slow in addition to stops at view points a few minutes walk from the road, and you can get stuck behind a lorry or bus although there is very little traffic. Not many petrol stations on either route. The Colomé winery and James Turrell museum up there are rather extraordinary.

If you didn’t want to do the driving, the Flecha bus from Salta to Cafayate is very efficient and you can book yourself the upper deck front row seat! Car hire can be quite expensive.

I’m a bit biased re Cafayate – we’re off there in March for three weeks, which will be the fourth year in a row!

You will see huge variety on this circuit.