Drive through Quebrada de Cafayate

The Quebrada de Cafayate (or Quebrada de las Conchas) is an impressive canyon spanning more than 60kms between the cities of Cafayate and Salta in northwest Argentina. The canyon is crossed by the famous Route 68 and is definitely one of the most scenic drives that you can do in Argentina.

The canyon itself is home to impressive rock formations and multihued sandstone. It has been carved by the Rio de las Conchas river (alas the name) and the waters of the river in combination with the winds, rains and harsh weather conditions have eroded the rocks into extraordinary formations, both in shape and color.

Because you will definitely want to stop and explore, admire and photograph the breathtaking landscape, I highly advise you to drive with your own vehicle at your pace. The sun and the clouds create amazing scenes and we drove both ways in a single day (from Salta to Cafayate and then back). The landscape looked totally different in each direction because of the change of the light.

I have marked in the map Cafayate as a starting point. If indeed this is your starting point, drive north on Route 68 in the direction of Salta. Soon you will encounter Los Medanos (the Sand Dunes). As you keep on driving north along Route 68 through the canyon you will pass by many interesting sites most of which are clearly marked and usually have parking slots available if you wish to stop.

If your starting point is from Salta, then you can drive south along Route 68 to Alemania. From there, stay on Route 68 and continue till Cafayate.