Argentina

El Molino De Cachi Adentro - Salta Region

"El Molino De Cachi Adentro" is a renovated mill on the edge of a ravine in the magical Calchaquí Valley. Hosted by owners Nuny and Alberto Durand, this charming finca is in a beautiful setting overlooked by the mighty 20,000 ft Mount Cachi.

These Sacred Valleys are embedded between the inhospitable Puna and the endless plateau. It is a region full of contrasts, with the dawn light reflecting on the Western Andean mountains and the colours of the sunset glowing on the fascinating Oriental Sierras. Ancient rock carvings, Inca ruins, and petroglyphs are treasures to be discovered here.

Colonial churches and villages nestle amongst magnificent vistas in semi-arid country covered by gigantic cactus and deserted roads. In the air hangs the scent of mint, anise and the fruity flavour of the region’s Torrontés wines, which grows in this mild dry climate at 6,000 ft.

Here in the foothills of the often snow-capped Mount Nevado de Cachi (20,800 feet), amidst imposing and captivating scenery, lies El Molino de Cachi Adentro. The house is an authentic colonial construction built around a 17th century grain mill, still in use grinding wheat and corn for the region's farmers, in what is now a dining room. The renovations preserve the profound Salteña tradition in beautiful taste and with style.

Only two miles from the pretty historic village of Cachi, close to La Poma Indian ruins, El Molino offers the diversity of outdoors, historical, and archaeological - oriented programs. The personalised and enthusiastic attention of your charming hosts makes a stay in this unique area a peaceful and rewarding experience. Nuny's food at El Molino is superb, featuring the delicious Salta cuisine, with the tasty tamales (corn meal, meat and chili wrapped in corn husk), humita (sweet corn-cob cake), locro meat, potato, corn and pepper stew), empanadas (savoury meat pies baked in the mud-oven), delicious home-made preserves, and the storied Argentine kid, lamb and veal barbecues.

There are five bedrooms, each with en suite bathroom, a rustic atmosphere, and very charming and comfortable. The cosy living room has a picture window with an enchanting view of the ravine. You all dine together in the elegant dining room, drinking the excellent local wines from their cellar. There is also a swimming pool.

A two-hour flight from Buenos Aires brings you to Salta City, which is well worth taking a day or two to explore. The drive from Salta to Cachi is only 157 km, but will take nearly four hours on a winding, breath-taking gravel road, climbing through the pass at 9,780 feet. There are vistas of Escoipe Gorge, the Cuesta del Obispo, the high-plateau of the Recta del Tin Tin, and the Cardones National Park. The native terrain of the sleek, giant cardon, or candelabra cactus, is unforgettable. This is a trip to the historical roots of the South American culture, where the last Pre-Columbian bastion developed in one of the sacred valleys of the American continent. The picturesque Andean villages of Cachi, Seclantás and Molinos with their lovely churches, colonial architecture and local arts and crafts are all close by.

Activities: Horseback riding and hiking in the heavenly Calchaquí Valleys takes you along the foothills of Mount Cachi on an ancient trail that led the cattle across the Andes to Chile. You will be crossing endless plateaus inhabited by herds of thousands of endangered, wild vicuñas (smaller Andean camelid).

Visit the archaeological ruins of La Poma, La Paya and Las Pailas. Every one of the romantic villages along the Calchaquí Valleys deserves sight-seeing walks to appreciate the fine colonial architecture and Hispanic art still well preserved. At Seclantás village and the nearby hamlet of Solco, artisans continue to produce the famous, traditional hand-woven Ponchos de Guemes, red and black blankets made of fine wool that are carried over the shoulders of the proud gauchos of this region.

Visit the lovely colonial gems of the 18th century churches of Cachi, in which the altar, confessionals, pews and even the ceiling and floor are made of cactus wood. Seclantás and Molinos (constructed by the last royalist governor of Salta) and the Archaeological Museum of Cachi, probably the best of its kind in Argentina.

Fish for trout in a creek in the mountains; tour the lovely and deserted site of the Brealito Lagoon with its wonderful wildlife, and the Calchaquí River pass which has been the entrance to the valleys since Pre-Columbian times. A six-day hike of the mountain can be started from here.

The Season is year-round. January and February are rainy months, and perhaps the best months are spring and fall: March, April, May, and September, October, November.