Cafayate, Argentina, home of Torrontes wines, the BEST empanadas and one of my favorite little towns ever!

Driving from Estancia Colome to Cafayate

 Cafayate (pronunciation lesson; in Argentina 'y' is pronounced 'j' [and 'j' as a 'y' just to make it more exciting]  - kaf-a-ja-tae) is one of the coolest little towns I'd never imagined!

About 3 hours from Salta  - I doubt anyone knows the exact timing, as the route is so scenic and stunning that everyone stops numerous times - Cafayate is home to sunshine, vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see, friendly locals, delicious food (OMG the empanadas), Torrontes (white) and Malbec (red) wines, and some of the oldest wineries in Argentina.

Save Your Soul peoples!
Retro-fantastic church in the middle of nowhere

Surrounded by towering red rocks, it's like coming upon an oasis, especially if you're driving from the bleak-but-amazing desert atmosphere of Colome and Cachi. The town is centered around a tree-filled square where teenagers sit next to each other but chat via Facebook on their i-pad 2's, while their parents weave ponchos nearby and their grandparents sip Malbec from Etchart winery, as they have been for the last 60+ years.

Patios de Cafayate, luxury accommodation

It's a very safe and welcoming town to wander around and there are plenty of delicious eating and accommodation options, from quaint and homely to mucho expensive resorts. We stayed at Cafayate Wine Resort which, despite its name, doesn't have anything to do with the nearby vineyards but does offer quite a good selection of local wines by the glass in the hotel. It was out of town so having a hire car was a big advantage; certainly to visit the surrounding vineyards a car really is needed.

There are many local vendors hand-weaving brightly coloured rugs, and other desirable knick-nacks easier to fit into suitcases, and the vibe is congenial rural-South America; an absolute treat.

Cafayate is one of Argentina's oldest and most important wine-producing regions; less internationally-famous than Mendoza, but the quality is as good if not arguably higher. At around 1700m, the wines are high-altitude which means deep colour, intense flavour, fragrant and refined.

Please see the site, www.travelapasionado.com.au for more...

Pampas! We are in Argentina after all