Amaichá Del Valle – Discover Culture and Nature

If you’re looking for a hotel in Amaichá Del Valle, start by considering which themes you want to shape your stay. The Pachamama tradition, Museo Pachamama and Bodega Comunitaria Los Amaichas are cultural highlights. Nature and activities offer a different focus: these include the Desierto de Tiu Punco, Dique Los Zazos and the Ruta Tafí del Valle–Infiernillo–Amaicha del Valle for mountain bikers and gravel cyclists. The Ruta del Artesano also leads to Amaicha del Valle’s craft workshops.

Pachamama Tradition and Cultural Sites

The Fiesta Nacional de la Pachamama takes place every year in February and lasts for a week. The celebration is marked by color, music and tradition; it also includes dances, coplas and traditional rituals. A new representative of Mother Earth is chosen within the community. If you want to focus your trip on culture, February is therefore the key time for this festival.

Museo Pachamama has a courtyard resembling a stone fortress, which houses sculptures of Pachamama, Inti, Quilla, a two-headed serpent, the Moon Warrior and the Mesa de los 12 caciques. The museum’s stated opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Check before visiting whether these hours are still in effect.

Bodega Comunitaria Los Amaichas is managed by the Indigenous community of Amaicha del Valle. Its design uses interconnected circles and pircado, a traditional building technique; this references dwellings from pre-Hispanic times.

Nature and Routes

Among Amaichá Del Valle’s natural attractions is the Desierto de Tiu Punco, whose landscape is reminiscent of the moon. Access is by guided tours in 4×4 vehicles. Check in advance which options are currently available. Visitors can enjoy nature at Dique Los Zazos.

The Ruta Tafí del Valle–Infiernillo–Amaicha del Valle is suitable for mountain bikers and gravel cyclists, with impressive views and beautiful scenery. The route ends at Plaza San Martín in Amaicha del Valle.

The Ruta del Artesano

The Ruta del Artesano leads to Amaicha del Valle’s craft workshops. You can travel it in your own vehicle, following the signs to each workshop, or with an agency.

In Departamento Tafí Del Valle

Departamento Tafí Del Valle is home to Ciudad Sagrada de Quilmes, which was restored in the 1970s. There you can see reconstructed residential areas, agricultural terraces, a hilltop fortress and lateral defensive structures. Centro de Interpretación de Quilmes is next to the archaeological site and complements the visit with four educational rooms. Visual, auditory and tactile elements convey the origins, daily life, customs and expulsion of the Quilmes. In El Mollar, Museo Arqueológico a Cielo Abierto Los Menhires displays around 124 carved, elongated stones, up to three meters tall and more than 2,000 years old.

Discover more destinations: Calimonte.

Return to the main travel overview: Departamento Tafí Del Valle.