Amaicha del Valle

Amaicha del Valle is one of the few communities in Argentina to hold a colonial land title recognising indigenous ownership, granted in 1716 and still the basis of the community's collective governance today. The village sits in a dry, bright valley that locals say enjoys 360 days of sun a year, growing grapes, olives and peppers under irrigation. Its best-known moment is the Fiesta Nacional de la Pachamama in February, when the community honours the earth mother with offerings, music, and the crowning of an elder woman as Pachamama, drawing thousands of visitors. The Casa de la Pachamama, an idiosyncratic museum built of stone and adobe by the artist Héctor Cruz, presents Andean cosmology and weaving in a building that is itself a sculpture.

What you actually see

• Casa de la Pachamama - the stone and adobe museum of Andean cosmology and design.
• The February festival - offerings, music and the crowning of the Pachamama.
• The dry valley - vineyards, olive groves and pepper fields under irrigation.
• The community craft stalls - weaving and ceramics sold at the roadside.

When to go

February for the Pachamama festival, if crowds and booked-out rooms are acceptable; otherwise April to November for calm, dry days. The valley is sunny almost year-round, hot in summer and cold at night in winter.

Honest expectations

Outside the festival the village is very quiet and there is little to occupy more than a few hours. The museum divides opinion, being as much an artist's vision as a scholarly display. Accommodation is limited, and during the festival it is effectively unavailable without booking far ahead.

Nearby

The Quilmes ruins are a short drive west; Tafí del Valle lies east over the pass.