By Stuart Wasserman
The city of Salta, founded in 1582 in northern Argentina, is a photographer's paradise. It is an urban delight with such amenities as historic hotels on the big town square. The city's grand churches, of which there are many, are lit so perfectly that any amateur photographer can get professional-looking shots, even without a tripod.
Large plazas that spill onto smaller plazas or plazuelas fill with people on the weekends, and parks boast statues of military heroes sitting atop horses on two hind feet anchored in bronze. Ornate stone columns adorn the public buildings and the Plaza 9 de Julio — the main square in town. The striking red-and-gold baroque San Francisco Church, built in 1625, lies two blocks east on Caseros Street.
The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology on the west side of Plaza 9 de Julio is home to an extraordinary exhibit. In 1999, on the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano, an Argentine-Peruvian expedition found the perfectly preserved bodies of three Incan children. At an altitude of just over four miles above sea level, the fifth-highest volcano in the world had preserved these bodies even though they had been sacrificed more than 500 years ago. The children drank an alcoholic beverage and were left to freeze to death on the mountaintop to honor the gods. The cold Andean temperatures preserved them, and today they are known simply as Los Ninos — the children.
Actor Robert Duvall made the 275-acre estate called House of Jasmines famous when he bought it to use as a vacation home. New owners have since turned the property, which is located about 20 minutes out of town, into a small luxury hotel and restaurant.
Rising above Salta is the cable car that offers visitors a grand view of the city of 619,000 that spreads over a high Andean valley. It is said the Argentine people hold a special place in their hearts for Salta, which they refer to as "Salta linda" — meaning "Salta pretty." The city grew up because it was the midway point between Lima, where valuable minerals were being extracted, and Buenos Aires, the port from where they were shipped to Spain. The population and traditions in Salta are more Andean than the cosmopolitan culture found in Buenos Aires.
Young people living in Buenos Aires take 20-hour bus rides during school breaks to reach Salta, but a modern airport offering two-hour flights to and from Buenos Aires is located just over three miles from the city. Salta is becoming a major destination in Argentina. It is perhaps the best-preserved colonial city in the country with a pleasant climate at an altitude of 3,780 feet above sea level.
It is a provincial town where family customs are still practiced, and families are close in Argentina. Many businesses close at 2 p.m. and sometimes don't reopen. The people here enjoy quality time together, and parents spend lots of time with their children.
Balcarce Street is quickly becoming a night-life hub. Beginning about seven or eight years ago these warehouses located near the old train station began to be converted into bars and small restaurants that feature entertainment. The performers dress up in colonial dress, women in revealing outfits and young men dressed as gauchos with swords thrown across their chests. The performers willingly pose for pictures on the street and do not expect tips.
Los Cardones, located at 876 Balcarce Street, always draws a lively crowd for their regional food specialties and free floor shows of Andean music and dance. Night life in Argentina springs into action at about 11 p.m., with many parents carrying very young children in their arms past midnight. On Sundays the street is closed to traffic all day long for an arts and crafts fair that features the work of local artists and craftsmen.
Another place for good people-watching is atop San Bernardo Hill, easily reached by the cable car that costs just a few dollars. I rode up but took the option of walking back down via the 1,070 steps, which turned out to be about a 25-minute stroll. The view of the city is just a bonus in the tranquil, verdant setting. A small cafe at the top offers beer and a bite to eat.
Anyone who wants to get to know the region better might consider renting a car and setting out on the 330-mile loop over an alpine pass to the small pueblo of Cachi, onward to the tidy hamlet of Seclantas and the glorious horse ranch and wine estate of Colome, then south to the vineyards of Cafayate, the second-largest wine-growing region in the country. (The Mendoza Valley is the largest.)
Just outside Cafayate the limestone hills morph into the Quebrada de Cafayate — a spectacular swirl of rust-colored arches and canyons that make the area around Salta a kaleidoscope of color.
The best time to visit Salta is during the months of July, August and September, when there is no rain, no overbearing heat and average daily temperatures of 70 degrees — days of sun with pleasant evenings.
WHEN YOU GO
Balcare Street: www.cardones.com.ar
Several boutique hotels have popped up in town, but a perennial favorite is the Hotel Colonial. Located on the main square, it is one of Salta's most traditional hotels and a good option for a pleasant stay. Breakfast and Wi-Fi access are included: www.saltahotelcolonial.com.ar.
American Airlines (www.aa.com) flies to Buenos Aires out of Dallas and LAN Airlines (www.lan.com) from Los Angeles. Once in Buenos Aires, connect to Lan or Aerolineas Argentinas (www.aerolineas.com). Both airlines fly to Salta daily.
Stuart Wasserman is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
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