A colonial city amid red canyons and high deserts
Salta, known as 'la linda', keeps a colonial centre of arcaded squares, the pink Cathedral and the red-and-gold San Francisco church. The MAAM museum displays the Inca child mummies found near the summit of Llullaillaco. Beyond the city lie some of Argentina's best road trips: south through the red rock formations of the Quebrada de las Conchas to Cafayate, known for its Torrontés white wine, or up through the Cachi valley on the Cuesta del Obispo. Empanadas salteñas and folk music in the peñas round off the day.