Tafí Viejo Department: Nature, Water and Culture
Accommodation in Tafí Viejo Department
Raco showcases a distinctive side of Tafí Viejo Department: vegetation, gentle hills, clear rivers and abundant forests define the area. The town’s streets also offer a cultural clue: every street is named after a song by folk musician Atahualpa Yupanqui. The landscape and folklore give Raco two clearly distinct facets.
Water, Landscapes and Experiences in El Cadillal
El Cadillal is a tourism-oriented village that developed around the Celestino Gelsi Dam. Jungle and several waterways surround the landscape. Swimming is possible at the beaches of Celestino Gelsi Dam.
A municipal leisure guide from February 2021 lists kayaking, boat trips and zip lines among the activities available in El Cadillal. It also mentions the chairlift complex, which takes tourists to the summit of Cerro Médici. From there, they can see the Sierras de Medina and the large expanse of water. Water activities and summit views offer different perspectives on the landscape.
At the end of Uttinger Street is Balneario La Toma, with picnic shelters, children’s play equipment and restrooms. El Cadillal also offers an archaeological perspective: the El Cadillal Archaeological Museum provides interactive, hands-on experiences featuring finds from various Indigenous peoples who lived in the region. Alongside the landscape and leisure activities, visitors can also explore the region’s history.
Museums, Monuments and Remembrance
In Tafí Viejo, the Tahuui Museum uses images and objects to present the origins of the Candelaria culture and the history of the first inhabitants. At the Railway Museum, knowledgeable guides explain the city’s railway history. The approaches differ: images and objects take center stage at Tahuui, while the Railway Museum focuses on explanations of the railway.
The Monument to San Martín depicts General San Martín’s passage through Tafí Viejo in 1814. The guided tour “Between Jungles and Rails” highlights the natural, historical and cultural values of Tafí Viejo Department.
The memory of more recent history also has a specific location: in Las Talitas, in Tafí Viejo Department, a secret center for detention, torture and extermination operated between 1976 and 1978 on the grounds of the “Miguel de Azcuénaga” Arsenal Company, which belonged to the Argentine Army. This history is addressed as part of a historical tour initiative by Tucumán Turismo.
A Cycling Route Through Changing Landscapes
The “El Cadillal - Tafí Viejo (Route and Farm)” cycling trail is suitable for individual mountain bike rides as well as group rides. It connects contrasting landscapes of hills, citrus groves and the waters of El Cadillal. The route is listed as 48.9 km long; its length can be adjusted to suit the cyclists’ abilities.
Discover more destinations: Las Tipas, El Cadillal Dam, Racó, Graneros, Chicligasta Department, Yerba Buena Department, Tafí del Valle Department and Lules Department.
See the main travel overview: Tucumán.
