12 Best Sights in The Northwest, Argentina

About 2 km (1 mile) north of Cafayate, Domingo Molina has been making Torrontés, a 90-point Malbec, and various blends since 2000. Tastings are available, and you can book in advance for a picada or asado. A drive leads you high up into the hills, offering stunning views of the wine lands to the east.  Take a look at Domingo Molina's oldest vine—a 130-year-old Malbec, still providing excellent grapes. Domingo Hermanos, a sister winery in town, is one of Cafayate's biggest operations, producing 3 million liters a year.

Old blends with new at Bodega El Porvenir. Founded at the turn of the 20th century by Italian immigrants, the winery was bought by the Romero Marcuzzi family in 2000 and brought up-to-date. The result is a small yet sleek facility surrounded by old carob casks and presses. Drop by the tasting room to sample the Laborum-label Malbec and Torrontés, as well as the top-end Amauta three-grape red blend; ask to see the small olive oil factory. If you have time, book a private asado or picnic at Finca El Retiro, the family's downtown vineyard, for lunch among the vines. 

Head south out of Cafayate toward Tolombón, then drive 7 km up the eastern mountain to this remote vineyard and winery. One of the valley’s newer projects, Mendoza winemaker Alejandro Sejanovich teamed up with the Salta Saavedra Azcona family to create this project, named for the towering cacti. The mica-speckled rock ensures terroir characteristic wines; try the Tigerstone line that includes Garnacha and Malbec. 

Head 8 km (5 miles) northwest of town toward the hills to find the Etchart family's boutique winery. Born into the local winemaking dynasty, Arnaldo Etchart established it in 1988, collaborating with flying winemaker Michel Rolland to create a trio of award-winning wines; today it's run by his sons Marcos and Arnaldo. Book in for a tasting to sample the Coquena or San Pedro de Yacochuya lines while enjoying stunning views over the valley.

Nanni has been in the same family and in the same building—just a block from the main square—since 1897. Thanks to its organic certification, much of its small production of Torrontés, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat is exported to the United States. Book lunch or dinner at Retoño, the rustic little restaurant in the back garden, for hearty stews and regional cuisine.

A contemporary building in the center of town houses El Transito's bodega and visitor center, a business run by a family that shares common ancestors with the folks at Bodega Nanni across the street. Pop in for a short tour and the chance to sample Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Torrontés.

In 1996, nothing was cultivated on José L. Mounier's land in El Divisadero, 4 km (2 miles) outside of town. Now Finca Las Nubes is one of Salta's best boutique wineries with fabulous views down into the valley. Almost half its small line of reds, whites, rosés, and sparkling wine is sold in the bodega itself. The tour includes sampling three wines, and lunch on the veranda is available if you book ahead.

This museum, located in a warehouse dating from 1881, has undergone an extensive refurbishment to include more flash and 3D exhibitions. You can learn about wine-making in the Calchaquí Valley. Machinery, agricultural implements, and old photographs also tell the history of wine-making in this area.

For 66 years, Rodolfo Bravo collected and cataloged funerary and religious objects from local excavations. These objects, made of clay, ceramic, metal, and textiles, are on display at the private Museo Regional y Arqueológico Rodolfo Bravo (Rudolfo Bravo Regional and Archaeological Museum). Artifacts from the Incas and Diaguitas of the Calchaqui Valley also form part of the collection.

The first winery in Cafayate to be constructed with tourism in mind, Piattelli caused a bit of a flurry with locals when it opened in 2013 thanks to the modern aesthetic conceived by its American owners. The state-of-the-art bodega, halfway up the foothills towards Yacochuya, offers tastings, tours, and fabulous valley views. Kick back on one of the two terraces with a refreshing Torrontés before tucking into slow-roasted lamb for lunch at the winery's restaurant. In 2022, the winery opened the Piattelli Wine Resort. 

The first 50 km (30 miles) of the direct road to Salta (or the last stretch if you don't come via Cachi and Molinos) is known as the Gorge of the Shells, and breathtaking scenery makes it an attraction in its own right. Various rock formations have been eroded into wildly different shapes that have been nicknamed the Windows, the Castles, the Frog, the Friar—each name seems fanciful, that is until the road winds around the corner and you're actually confronted by the formation itself. The climax is the Amphitheater, sometimes used as a venue for proper orchestras thanks to its outstanding natural acoustics; wandering minstrels offer impromptu performances.  If you've rented a car, keep valuables out of view as thieves have become more prevalent at the Amphitheater.

Occupying a grand 1850s building on the northern edge of town, Vasija Secreta's museum displays imported oak barrels and machinery for pumping and bottling wine. Short tours give a historical overview and show how production methods have changed. Tasty local dishes are served at the rustic on-site restaurant.