Hacienda de Molinos

Lunch — Hacienda de Molinos

The road continues north past Angastaco, tracing the Río Calchaquí through a valley of adobe villages and stone corrals, before arriving at Molinos in the early afternoon. The Hacienda de Molinos is an 18th-century house at the centre of town, its courtyard shaded by an enormous molle tree under which lunch is served — a tradition that predates any notion of tourism in this valley. The empanadas and bread come from a clay oven in the old colonial manner, and in season the humita en chala, corn wrapped and steamed in its own husk, is among the best in the region. Directly across from the restaurant stands the church around which the town grew — a modest colonial building that has anchored Molinos since the valley was first settled.

Arrival: Seclantás

The final stretch north from Molinos is short, and Seclantás arrives by mid-afternoon. It is one of the best-preserved villages in Salta — a single main street lined with adobe houses, deep galleries shading the doorways, and the unhurried rhythm of a place that has changed very little in generations. Seclantás is the historic centre of Salta's poncho-weaving tradition: along the parallel Camino de los Artesanos, weavers work at handlooms strung between algarrobo posts, producing the ponchos, blankets, and textiles the town is known for throughout the country — the raw material is llama and sheep wool, and a single poncho can take two to three weeks on the loom. The tradition runs deep enough to have been set to music by some of Argentina's best-known folk performers, and it remains a living craft rather than a museum piece — visitors are generally welcome to watch the weavers at work.

Camp for the night at Utopia Overland Camping, just off the main road through town. After the flechas and a long lunch, there's little urgency left in the day.