The Colonial Belle of Argentina

Buenos Aires was but a minor outpost in the early years of Spanish rule in Argentina. The real action was taking place in the country’s Andean northwest, near the lucrative silver mining settlements in Bolivia. In a sheltered valley, the colonial city of Salta flourished as the region’s capital. Although its fortunes declined when power shifted to Buenos Aires in the late 18th century, Salta once again exerts influence, this time as a tourist capital with a population of half a million. "Salta la Linda" is what the Argentines call it.

It boasts an eternal spring-like climate and the best preserved colonial architecture in all of Argentina. Wandering its narrow streets and charming plazas, you will get a sense of how Salta has existed for centures quietly, graciously and with a sense of reserve.

Two hours by plane from Buenos Aires, Salta offers a bounty of colonial architecture, Incan heritage (Salta sits on the edge of the former Incan empire), varied restaurants and buzzing nightlife. Many visitors launch from Salta to explore the surrounding desert foothills, Andean mountains, lush cloud forests and even the dramatic Iguaz-waterfalls in the countryнs northeast.

In the colonial heart of the city you will find structures dating from its founding in 1582. The oldest structure on the plaza, the gleaming white Cabildo Hist-rico, was once city hall but now houses the history museum with portraits and religious art from the Spanish Empire’s heyday. You can scope out the plaza’s grandeur from the museumнs balcony, which is held up by wooden beams carved into tranquil angels and cherubim. The Cabildo faces the large pink Cathedral, Basilica de Salta. The cavernous, gilded interior dazzles, every niche holding a religious statue. At night the floodlit buildings cast a glow on the plaza’s trees as young couples walk hand in hand around the ornate fountain.

The new Museo de Arqueologнa de Alta Montaсa displays items from a headline-garnering 1999 National Geographic Society mission that recovered the remarkably preserved frozen mummies of three Incan children. The children had been ritually sacrificed in the hopes the gods would bring a good harvest. The mummies are exhibited in specially built climate-controlled cases. Actual artifacts buried with them are also on exhibit-500-year-old silver llamas, gold figurines, delicate feather headdresses and clothing. The museum also houses the Andean Information Center which offers one-hour introductory courses on Incan language and customs.

Empanadas are a Salta staple, offering a variety of fillings, but ground beef with egg is the most popular with the Salteсos who crowd the outdoor tables, empanadas in hand. They wash them down with the sharp local beer called, simply, Salta.

A stay on a finca, the northern Argentine name for an estancia, or farm, is a nice way to mingle with the local people. You can help farm hands tend cows or take horses out for a ride, then retire at night to a country-style guest room. Prices begin at under $100 USD per night.

The evocatively named Tren a las Nubes, or Train to the Clouds, runs several times a month from Salta’s old train station to San Antonio de los Cobres, the former capital city of the territory in the times of the Spanish Empire, in a valley high in the Andes. The train once brought miners to rich silver lodes. Now tourists embark on this historic full day excursion in an excellent tourist train that takes passengers through beautiful sights of treeless prairies giving way to misty peaks and Andean villages. One of the many picturesque sights of the region is the famous Hill of Seven Colors which glows with startling bands of violet, copper, burgundy and other hues.