Cafayate

Introduction

Vineyard - Cafayate

© snatterand

Cafayate is a town of about 12,000 inhabitants in the northwestern Argentinian province of Salta (Province). The town is located at an elevation of almost 1,700 metres above sea level and is one of the most important wine regions in the country. From Salta the route runs through the spectacular Quebrada de Cafayate. The town is also the southern end of the Valles Calchaquíes route, with stunning landscapes on the way.

Sights and Activities

• Wineries!

Getting There

By Plane

The nearest airport is the one at Salta.

By Bus

El Indio has three to four buses daily to Salta (3½ hours). There are also three to four daily services to San Carlos (40 minutes), and one to Angastaco (two hours), leaving at 11am Monday through Friday and 6.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Aconquija has 2-4 buses daily for Tucuman (6½ hours) via Tafi del Valle (four hours). There are two buses going to Santa Maria (two hours).

Getting Around

The town may be explored on foot, there are several places which rent bicycles to explore the vicinity.

Eat

Traditional empanadas, tamales and humitas are easy to find and delicious. Be sure to try ice cream made from local wines - Ruta Nac. 40 between C.Q de Nino and Cordoba has a few ice cream shops.

Sleep

Accommodation is generally no problem in Cafayate, there are a multitude of cheap small hostels as well as more expensive and more luxurious hotels.

• El Balcon Hostel, centrally located, offering free breakfast, WIFI, internet, kitchen use, outdoor patio areas, dorms from Ar$60.00.
• Killa Cafayate, hotel de charme located in the heart of town offers buffet breakfast, swimming pool, car parking, wireless Internet. The hotel receives guests from all over the world. Gay friendly.
• Casa de Peter, Alvarado 64 (Half a block from the post office), ☎ +54 3868 422 390, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 12 noon, check-out: 11:00am. A bed and breakfast in the center of Cafayate, featuring fine art photography gallery, photography studio and two rooms available for travelers: private bathroom, independent entrance, parking, Wi-Fi, breakfast included.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes are still widely available in most places, even in smaller towns, though many people are connected through the internet at home or by mobile device. Many cafes and restaurants offer free WiFi with an advertisement in their windows. All you need to do is buy something and ask for the password. Apart from specific places, including soms airports and major stations, quite a few cities are offering free wifi, including Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Iguazu Falls.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to Argentina is 54. To make an international call from Argentina, dial 00 followed by the country code and the rest of the telephone number. All 0800 numbers are toll-free numbers, except if you call from a mobile phone. Emergency numbers are available for Police (101), Ambulance (107) and Fire (100). Emergency dispatcher for Buenos Aires (city), Santa Fe (city), Rosario (city), Salta (province), Corrientes (province), and Buenos Aires (province) 911. In a mobile phone 112 forwards to 911.

You can get a prepaid Movistar / Claro / Personal SIM card for a few pesos / free at phone shops, all you pay is about 20 Pesos for your initial credits. Inserting the SIM card into your unlocked American or European mobile phone should work, although to register the SIM you have to enter your passport (or any 9 digit) number - you then have your personal Argentinean phone numbers. Calls cost around 1 Peso per minute. Receiving calls is usually free, except for international calls, and some cross network / inter-city calls - hence buying a SIM card purely to keep in touch with people overseas may not be worth it.

Without a cellphone, there are similar cards with credits for international calls. You get them at so called locutorios, where you can also use the phone booths. You dial a free number to connect to the service, then your secret number for the credits, and then the international phone number you want to call. Using these cards, a one-hour call to Europe will cost about 10 Pesos. Don't call without such cards or even from your hotel - it will be way more expensive.

Post

Correos de Argentina is the national postal service of Argentina. There are also two private carriers operating nationwide (OCA and Andreani) and a number of regional ones though Correos de Argentina will be the one most likely to be used by travellers. Post offices are mostly open between 8:00am and 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 1:00pm on Saturday, though there are regional variantions with longer hours in central post offices in big cities and shorter ones in small towns. Services are pretty reliable but slow, mostly taking about two weeks to deliver a postcard or letter to the USA or Europe, but usually within a few days sending it domestically. There is also a more expensive express options. You can track a package online at the Correos de Argentino website. Parcels take at least 3-5 days domestically and weeks internationally. Otherwise try international companies like FedEx, TNT, DHL or UPS to send parcels. It is probably more reliable as well as faster.

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