Cachi Travel Guide

 
by GentleSpirit
 
  •   Cachi
    by GentleSpirit
  •   Things to Do
    by GentleSpirit
  • Petroglyphs
      Petroglyphs
    by GentleSpirit
  • Cabildo and Church
      Cabildo and Church
    by GentleSpirit
  • Iglesia de San Jose
      Iglesia de San Jose
    by GentleSpirit
 

Pro

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 Fantastic location, great hiking 


Con

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 Very little information on sights or hikes 


In a nutshell

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 A lovely, quiet place to stop for a few days 

 

Explore Cachi

Things to Do  

Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  The Archaeology Museum in Cachi is named after Pio Pablo Diaz, a local resident who from childhood had been fascinated by archaeological remains so easily available around him. Over time he became something of a collector. Wanting to find out the science behind it all he... 

Fiesta Patronal San Jose

Fiesta Patronal  San Jose, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  The feast of the patron saint of the town occurs March 18 and 19th. The festival is fairly similar to most other festivals in that there is a church service and the icon is brought. There is always music and some sort of competitions. There is parade of gauchos as well. What... 

Iglesia San Jose

Iglesia San Jose, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  The main church on the square, this was started in the 1600's with the arrival of the Spaniards and the eventual splitting up of the lands into smaller parcels. The Jesuits were in charge at the time. The church with its mission style facade is very interesting in the... 

The peppers- the picture to capture

The peppers- the picture to capture, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  Cachi and the surrounding area is agricultural. More than anything it produces peppers (the nice big red ones) as well as nuts. The harvest occurs between March and May. The peppers are then used in the production of paprika.One of the classic pictures of this area that you... 

Colonial Architecture

Colonial Architecture, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  In and around the main square you will see the common colonial architecture of the Spaniards. At its center is always the main church on the square, in this case San Jose. Next to that is the arcaded Cabildo, which housed government and administration. Today, the cabildo in... 

Plaza 9 de Julio

Plaza 9 de Julio, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Cachi has an attractive main square, Plaza 9 de Julio, covered in tall trees, providing a great place to hide in the shade from the relentless heat. Most of the village's principal buildings are on the square including the only bank, the tourist information office, a couple... 

Cachi Museum

Cachi Museum, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Cachi's archaeological museum is located beside the church on the main square in a beautiful white building, and though there's not a huge amount to see inside, it's worth visiting to see the interior of the building with it's quiet courtyards and impressive arches. The... 

Iglesia de San Jose

Iglesia de San Jose, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  The most important and attractive building in Cachi is the Church of San Jose, located on the main square, with a beautiful white facade crowned by 3 bells and a cross. The church interior is fairly plain and simple, and contains paintings related to the stations of the... 

El Tero

El Tero, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Some of the remains of a pre-Inca settlement can be seen 2km south-west of Cachi at El Tero, which is an easy hike from the village. The tourist office supply a map showing the route. At first we weren't sure we had reached the correct site as it seemed little more than a... 

Hillside Cemetery

Hillside Cemetery, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Many villages in the Calchaquies Valley, including Cachi, have hillside cemeteries overlooking the village. According to a local we met in Cachi, the idea is to have a final resting place closer to God. Cachi's picturesque cemetery is a short walk north of town and from the... 

Cuesta del Obispo

Cuesta del Obispo, Cachi

 Luchonda Says:  The road from Salta to Cachi climbs to Cuesta del Obispo. After this breathtaking tripabove the clouds, you will be balanced again and drive on a straight road with the funny name “La Recta Tin-Tin” which will bring you to the “Salinas Grande” and the National Park Los... 

Hotels  

La Merced del Alto

 44 Opinions

Restaurants  

Cafe Oliver

Cafe Oliver, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Cafe Oliver is a good value cafe on Cachi's main square with a nice selection of dishes and a pleasant outdoor terrace on the main square. Cafe Oliver became our regular stop for our two days in Cachi: we had breakfast here every morning, and coffee here in the afternoons... 

No-name restaurant

No-name restaurant, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Our favourite place for dinner in Cachi was a small restaurant just beyond the south-west of the square. The restaurant had no menu, no sign on the door and no name. However, the food was excellent, and very good value so we ate here on both evenings of our stay in... 

El Aujero: Good food during my journey in Argentina

El Aujero: Good food during my journey in Argentina, Cachi

 Luchonda Says:  El Aujero, named after a location where in the past men used to play cards for money, drinking local beers, without knowledge of their women ( must have been a great time)The open area restaurant is excellentThe name of the restaurant is rather mystique. El Aujero was a... 

Transportation  

Bus companies to Cachi

Bus companies to Cachi, Cachi

 GentleSpirit Says:  Marcos Rueda Federico Suarez s/nº 03868-491063 (0387-4214447)Remises Cachi Benjamín Zorrilla s/nº 0387 - 4290405Remises Las Cumbres Benjamín Zorrilla s/nº 0387-154731800 Salta 0387-4228757Remises Del Milagro Avda. Gral. Guemes s/nº 0387 – 155813678 (0387-154796282Remises San... 

From Salta to Cachi

From Salta to Cachi, Cachi

 barryg23 Says:  Cachi is a difficult enough place to reach by public transport. Only one bus a day travels up from Salta, and it leaves at 7am, not the most convenient time. It costs 25 pesos for a single ticket, and the company, Marcus Rueda, has offices in Salta's bus terminal. The... 

Cuesta del Obispo

Cuesta del Obispo, Cachi

 cadiana88 Says:  From Salta, you travel to Cachi trough the Cuesta del Obispo, an incredible way by mountains, rivers and valleys, old populations and amazing places and colors. 

Local Customs  

To less teachers in Cachi
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Luchonda 2339 reviews
Classical school dress

To less teachers in Cachi, therefore there is a morning and a afternoon schedule to educate the children. Traditional school dress in Cachi, in fact in many cities in Argentina is this white uniform.

Updated Oct 8, 2006

Related to:
 Road Trip
 Budget Travel

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Warnings and Dangers  

Earthquakes
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GentleSpirit 1010 reviews

Cachi is in an active seismic area. There are frequent low intensity earthquakes, most you will not even notice. The most recent earthquake to affect the region was in 2010 which registered 6.0 on the Richter scale, though the most serious recent earthquake was in 1948 (Aug.25) which was a 7.0 on the richter scale and caused significant damage throughout the province.

No special precautions to take for ordinary seismic events.


Cachi se encuentra en una zona sísmica activa. Hay frecuentes terremotos de baja intensidad, la mayoria tan chicos que ni siquiera se notará. El terremoto más reciente que afecto a la región fue en 2010, este registró 6,0 en la escala de Richter. De los terremotos fuertes, el mas reciente fue en 1948 (Aug.25) que era un 7.0 en la escala de Richter y causó daños importantes en toda la provincia.

No se requieren precauciones especiales para que los eventos sísmicos comunes.
*

Updated May 2, 2013

Related to:
 Historical Travel

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Off The Beaten Path  

Cachi Adentro
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barryg23 2895 reviews
Hiking to Cachi Adentro
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Cachi Adentro is a tiny village to the west of Cachi, approaching the Nevado de Cachi mountains. The tourist office claims it's 7km from the Cachi, while a signpost as you leave Cachi indicates that it's 4km. We walked there and back and estimate it at 6km. Whatever the distance may be, it makes a good day hike from Cachi.

Using the map from the tourist office it's easy to find your way. You pass through the hamlet of Fuerte Alto after about 3km along the unpaved road. The same road continues to Cachi Adentro, and the views along the way are superb - it's mostly blue, sunny skies and high mountains in the distance. You'll meet plenty of friendly, curious locals along the way too.

There are few facilities in Cachi Adentro so I would recommend you bring lunch from Cachi before you leave. Cafe Oliver on the main square in Cachi sell cheap, delicious sandwiches. Also, if it's a hot day make sure you take lots of water and sun-screen. It was close to 35 degrees on the day we did the hike and even though the return trip was only 12km we were absolutely shattered by the end, and had used up 4 litres of water. There's very little shade along the route as well so early morning or late afternoon is the best time to hike in summer.

Updated Mar 8, 2009

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Map of Cachi