As usual check the web sites www.booking.com and www.venere.com we stayed at Carpe Diem, Urquiza 329, it is a B&B run by a lovely couple Silke and Riccardo, the friendly feel of the place is wonderful. It has excellent rooms and there is home baking for breakfast. It is centrally located and very popular, so book well in advance at www.carpediemsalta.com.ar

Restaurants

Jovi II, Balcarce 601, is a great old fashioned Salta restaurant with large portions of well cooked food, try the rabbit, and reasonably priced wines. Lovely to sit outside and watch the great mix of locals and visitors. It was recommended by our B&B but was also on our list of places to try.

El Solar de Convento, Caseros 444, this seemed as if it might be a bit “touristy” however it was mainly full of locals and a very busy place. There is a complimentary glass of fizz and they have excellent beef as you would expect but with a variety of sauces. Thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish,

Jose Balcarce, is on the corner of B. Mitre & Necochea, it is the most upmarket restaurant we visited and the food was excellent, try the llama carpaccio. The service was very good as you would expect and incredibly good value for the quality. Totally amazed that it is not higher up the list of Salta restaurants.

Cafes & Bars

Casa Moderna, Espana 674 is a grocers and wine shop but it does do some food including the best empanadas I have ever eaten. They have a selection of wines and also do meat and cheese plates. It is a gem of a place, seek it out and you will feel like a local in minutes.

New Time Café, is on one corner of the main square Plaza 9 Julio, it is a great place to sit outside with a beer during the day or a post dinner drink. They have a large range of food as well and efficient service.

Balcarce Street is where all the bars are, they seem to attract a very young crowd and only open at night. There are one or two places in the street which open during the day if you are around that part of town.

Drink

The region of Salta is home to the Cafayete wine appellation and the well known white Torrontes, which is prized for it’s perfumed aroma. It is becoming much better known outside Argentina and should be tried when you are there. The area also produces other wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay.

The Museum of High Mountain Archaeology in the main square is a must to see the exhibits on child sacrifices in the Andes. The story of the exhibits and how they were found is fascinating.

Pajcha, 20 de Febrero 831, is a private collection of indeginous art and culture, the curator is fascinating although his English is limited.

If you are there in September you may be lucky enough to coincide with the Fiesta del Milagro (“Miracle Fiesta”), which is held each September, commemorating the aftermath of a particularly severe earthquake in 1692 when religious icons are paraded through the streets. People from the surrounding area walk into town to celebrate the anniversary of the miracle, there are tens of thousands of pilgrims and the atmosphere is incredible.

Walking round the city there are numerous churches, convents and buildings to explore. There is also a cable car to the top of the hill overlooking the city.