Nestled in the hills of northern Argentina, is the small, dusty town of Cafayate. For a lot of travellers that are making their way down the usual ‘Gringo Trail’, Cafayate isn’t on the radar. In a country known for it’s stellar wine, Mendoza is the usual place to go, considering the sheer amount of wineries in one place. Making your way to Cafayate requires a detour from the usual Buenos Aires-Mendoza-Santiago, and it is so worth it.
Not going to lie, it was disappointing to miss out on the biking winery tours that Mendoza is famous for. With everyone we met coming from that direction raving about them, it’s hard to not be a bit envious. But, since our plan was to head north into Bolivia and save Chile for a separate visit, we really couldn’t justify the 20 hour detour. It all worked out in the long run however, since it turns out that Cafayate was right up our alley. An easily walkable town with lots to do, great food, and fantastic wine!
We arrived at the Cafayate bus station from Salta, and were fairly confused. We had read instructions on how to get into town from the bus station, but they didn’t seem to match what we were facing. (A brand new bus station has just opened we soon figured out). The bus station while being shiny and new, was entirely void of any life. Every kiosk was empty, and the ever present taxi drivers weren’t even hanging around. So, we grabbed our stuff and started hoofing it towards town.
It ended up being okay, it was only about a kilometre into town, however the glaring overhead sun didn’t make the walk that enjoyable with out 50 lb bags.
Argentina is well known for producing some great wine, with the spotlight firmly shone on Mendoza. Luckily for us, while Cafayate is nowhere near as famous, it’s high altitude vineyards produces some fantastic wines, minus the crowds. In Cafayate, the regional speciality is Torrontés, a dry white wine.
With wineries scattered throughout town and the surrounding area, it’s easy to book a tour or DIY it and venture on your own. The bodegas located in town and directly outside are walkable, however to reach some of the further ones you would definitely need a bike, or preferably a DD. Setting out early one day to try to hit up as many as possible, we started with the ones an easy walking distance from our hostel.
We had done a bit of research into which wineries offered free tastings, but we soon learned that free tastings were a thing of the past. We started off with the two small bodegas located directly in town, Bodega Nanni and Bodega el Transito.
Walking into Bodega Nanni feels more like walking into someone’s back garden than a winery. The setting itself is straight out of a novel, shaded by draping trees and wildflowers growing everywhere. We did a tasting which more so involved us just chugging back a couple ounces of wine and nodding at one another.
HOWEVER, after the tasting we each got a glass of our favourite to go drink in Nanni’s back garden. This in itself was worth the tasting, the garden is adorable. Unfortunately the two in town were a bit more rushed, and they didn’t really seem interested in having us there. Our next stop was Bodega el Transito, which isn’t as photogenic as Bodega Nanni but we had a much warmer welcome, a tour from the lovely girl working, and a friendly tasting.
To be completely honest, if you’re trying to go the budget route in Cafayate, the tastings don’t make a whole lot of sense. The wine in Cafayate is so cheap, you can buy a bottle of wine for half the price of a tasting. Plus, the tastings that we did do, the pours were tiny. Like one to two ounces.
So, after three tastings we decided to just go buy a couple bottles of wine instead. We ended up picking up a couple bottles of wine to take back to our adorable hostel and threw together a charcuterie board. This might of happened a couple nights in a row..
On the cheese note, Cafayate is also home to a goat cheese farm! The farm gives tours and you can purchase their cheese from the farm as well. We had heard some strange stories from people who had done the tour however, so we decided to skip it. You’re still in luck if you want to get your hands on some local cheese however. The market in town sells the cheese, and when we asked about it the shopkeeper broke us off a large hunk to sample. It’s the hard white cheese in the top right corner of the cheese board above! Definitely different than the goat cheese I’m used to in Canada, but deliciously salty.
There are tons of little shops around town that sell wines from the local wineries and others across Argentina, but after checking them all out we stuck with the vinoteca on Av General Güemes for our time in Cafayate. It has a huge selection and it’s cheaper than everywhere else in town. Makes it easier to sample the different local wineries while trying to decide on a favourite!
Looking for something to do to burn off the wine and cheese? I’ve written a blog post on the day we hiked the Cascadas Del Rio Colorado hike.
Cafayate is also a great base for exploring the Conchas. There’s a few different ways to travel through the red rock formations, and we decided to bike them. Read my post about biking through the Quebrada de las Conchas, and the other less sweat-inducing options!
Afternoons in South America can be a little bit sleepy, with the siesta reigning supreme. My favourite time of day is early evening, when the sun and heat begins to drop, and the streets get more lively. Grills are pulled out, with every imaginable meat (and if you’re lucky, maybe even a vegetable), thrown on.
The speciality in Cafayate though, is definitely the tortilla reillanas. Every street side grill features these hand made tortillas, stuffed with fresh cheese and then grilled. I sampled quite a few while in Cafayate, but the best were definitely from the woman a little bit down Buenos Aires where it intersects with Rivadavia.
It’s tough to catch her though, since she came out at dusk, and was gone by the time the sun had set. Unfortunately I was always in such a rush to eat my prize, I didn’t get a photo of the tortilla, but they’re huge and SO delicious.
Another delicacy that seems to only be found in Cafayate, vino icecream. Not artificially flavoured, but actual wine. As with anything that’s an instant hit, there are now a couple spots to indulge around Cafayate, but Heladeria Miranda is the OG.
We flew from Buenos Aires into Salta, and then took Flechabus into Cafayate from Salta’s central bus station. The bus from Salta to Cafayate leaves numerous times throughout the day, and was 350 pesos.
When booking a day tour from Salta to Cafayate, you have another option. It’s possible to stay in Cafayate overnight and use the return to Salta another day. Check with the tour provider to get the details.
A homey little hacienda with an adorable back garden, private rooms and dorm rooms are available. There’s a charcoal grill in the backyard that you’re free to use, and a well equipped kitchen. One of the nights we were there, the owners organized and prepared a massive Argentinian BBQ for everyone staying, it was amazing. A continental breakfast is included.
Serving up authentic Argentinian food, the baked empanadas are their claim to fame. Cheaper by the dozen, we went for it and got 12. Why not? Also, since it’s mountain territory, the goat option is always adventurous.
In a town known for it’s wines, what better to pair with a bottle or two than a lil’ charcuterie board? Luckily, Cafayate has a couple different markets to choose from. My favourite was this little one, with a huge selection of wines and the cheapest we found in Cafayate!
When we asked if they carried the goat cheese produced in town, they wouldn’t let us leave without sampling it. An old school general store, they have just about everything here. We stocked up on some nuts and things for our hike, and of course, the goat cheese!
Wouldn’t be much of a food guide if I didn’t point out the best bakery in the town, would it? Flore de Valle, delicious desserts and coffee, and a good spot to grab something heartier to take on a hike.
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