Salta, Argentina

Where in the world is Salta, Argentina?
Tucked into the northwestern corner of Argentina, Salta is bordered by Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile. As we approached, I eagerly peered out the plane window knowing very little about our destination. Below, velvety green forested hills surprised me with its lushness. This flight was a quick one and a half hours from Mendoza. Driving through the Salta to our hotel, my first impression was that this was the most “Spanish” city we had visited so far, in that the architecture and history has a distinctive Spanish influence.

Hotel Legado Mitico

Considered one of the best hotels in the city, Hotel Legado Mitico is located very close to the town center. A restored mansion, many of the paintings and decor are original. Chic and tasteful, the lovely ambiance was restorative and therapeutic. Furniture was distinctively masculine with heavy leather armchairs, dark wood, and gaucho–themed artifacts–even the bed skirt was a rich, high-quality leather.

Dona Salta Restaurant

Recommended by many, this traditional Salta restaurant has many indigenous menu items that I had not previously seen in Argentina. Their delicious tamales were completely different than the tamales we were used to in Mexico. Another classical dish humita (steamed corn husks filled with cheese) was a less successful dish for us. We rounded out our order with grilled meats and chicken–very typical and tasty. One important tip–they don’t take Visa Credit Cards, only MasterCard.

Sights of Salta 

Our tour guide had us hit the hot spots of Salta. We started out at the town square where the pink Cathedral Basilica de Salta–noteworthy for its breathtaking altar. While Argentina is a Catholic country, Salta is considered to be particularly devout. I recommend visiting at night when it is completely lighted.

Next, we circled up Cerro Can Bernardo, a small mountain adjacent to the city. At the top is a park and a stunning panoramic lookout of the entire city. We drove to the top, but we spotted many hikers along the road. If you decide to hike up, El Teleférico, a cable car at the top connects to the base below at San Martin Park for an entertaining ride down.

Our tour guide headed out of the city to a rural upscale area called Quebrada de San Lorenzo, a lush nature preserve also called a cloud forest with hiking trails and a pristine rushing creek. Our guide mentioned that he fished around there and often caught a fish named pacu. He waxed eloquently about its delicious flavor. We saw it on the menu that night at Adelina, an Italian restaurant, and immediately ordered it, and it was delicate, flakey and tasty. Never having heard of that fish, we became curious and looked it up on the Internet and discovered it was a type of piranha—whoa!

The next day we were picked up by our tour guide for our  Safari to the Clouds.
This was the name of the tour of the north-west Andes and its spectacular natural landscapes. This was a definite highlight of the trip

One More Recommendation
Salta is an amazing winemaking region and is famous for its Torrontes white wine in the wine district Cafayate. We were sorry we missed it, and we will include it the next time we visit.

Check out the next post for the Safari to the Clouds and Purmamarca.