Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

Fall/Winter 2017

Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

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DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2017 58 TRAVERSING THE SHELL GORGE I left the wines behind on my last day in Salta Province as I entered into the region's most spectacular landscape yet: the fossil- rich Shell Gorge. The remnants of an ancient lakebed, it boasts multicoloured mountains thanks to the oxidation of min- erals, such as sulfur (yellow), iron (red) and copper (green), over thousands of years. There's also a menagerie of other- worldly rock formations to stop and see, such as Devil's Throat and the Amphithe- atre. In both you'll find solid rock taking on blanket-like folds and improbable swirls as if designed by an abstract expressionist. The latter is the site of a prehistoric water- fall on the scale of Niagara Falls and, thanks to its unrivalled acoustics, the amphitheatre lures some of the best folk singers away from Salta's peñas to record their albums. On the final leg of my journey back to Salta we skirted past a ghost town called Ger- many (Alemania) and an artificial lake that's fast becoming a popular weekend retreat for Salta's elite. Green fields of tobacco gave way to small adobe villages on Salta's edge before we finally entered the big city for one last night amid its crumbling colonial charms. It wasn't long before I found myself back at the peña where a new folk singer, draped in a checkered poncho, leaned against the stucco wall to sing a familiar tune. The crowd sang along, belting lyrics into the heavy air as a grill filled the room with the smoky smell of Argentinean meats. I may have come to Salta to try its sun- scented wines and take in its dramatic scenery, but I flew away from this overlooked corner of northwestern Argentina humming the tunes of its hometown folk heroes. TRAVEL PLANNER For more information on Salta, visit turismosalta.gov.ar. For help planning a custom trip through Salta Province, contact Say Hueque: sayhueque.com For accommodation, consider: Hacienda de Molinos in Molinos: haciendademolinos.com.ar La Merced del Alto in Cachi: lamerceddelalto.com Legado Mitico in Salta: legadomitico.com Patios de Cafayate Wine Hotel in Cafayate: patiosdecafayate.com DS LEFT: The Amphitheatre is the most popular rock formation within Shell Gorge. BELOW: Salta's multicoloured hills are the result of the oxidation of minerals over thousands of years. BOTTOM: The pool at Patios de Cafayate Wine Hotel is perfect for a sunset swim amid the vines.

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