Cachi  

Next, we will arrive in Piedra del Molino (Millstone) at 3,600 masl and we will go across the picturesque Los Cardones National Park following the Tin Tin straight line which was traced by natives at 3,000 masl. This line evidences the same perfection as if it had been drawn using hi-tech tools.

Los Cardones Nacional Park is home to many endangered species such as the vicuna and the huemul deer. This park is known worldwide due to its physical formations which resemble the Saguaro National Monument and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park in the United States. Finally, we will arrive in Payogasta and will continue descending to encounter the magical town of Cachi, at the foot of the mountain which bears the same name and is 6,320 masl.

Cachi rises at the confluence of the homonymous river and the Calchaqui River, framed by white peaks and hills at the foot of Cachi Snow-capped Mountain, which is among the 40 highest mountains in Argentina of over 6,000 masl.

The historical legacy is reflected in its people. This town inhabited by aborigines from Chicoana existed long before the Spanish conquer. Traditional and staid, this village is typical for its colonial-type constructions, the old houses lying on the very edge of narrow and cobbled streets, emerging from a luminous background of plantations sown with red pepper drying under the sun. Its church dates to the 18th Century and stands out for its floor, ceiling and furniture made of cactus wood and its adobe walls.

It has a well-recognized Anthropological Museum where the history of indigenous civilizations is exhibited in 5,000 pieces unraveling a 10,000-year-old story.