San José de Jáchal

San José de Jáchal grew in a fertile irrigated valley in northern San Juan and became a milling centre in the nineteenth century, when water channels drove a scatter of flour mills that ground grain for much of the region. Several of those molinos survive around the town, built of adobe and stone with timber machinery and water wheels, and a few can be visited, the best known being Molino Sardiña and Molino García. The town itself keeps a colonial church on the plaza and a strong tradition of folk music and craft, particularly weaving. Around it the valley is green with vineyards and olive groves against dry mountains, and the RN40 runs north into the striking rock country toward Huaco and the Cuesta de Huaco.

What you actually see

• The historic flour mills - nineteenth-century adobe mills with wheels and machinery.
• The plaza and church - the colonial centre of the town.
• The irrigated valley - vineyards and olive groves between dry ranges.
• The craft workshops - weaving and traditional textiles.

When to go

April to November for comfortable temperatures; the valley is very hot in summer. The town's patron festival in November brings folk music and dance. Mills keep irregular hours, so ask locally before driving out to them.

Honest expectations

Only some mills are open and their condition varies, from restored to barely standing. The town is quiet with limited services. Signage is poor, and finding the mills without asking directions can be frustrating.

Nearby

Huaco and its old mill lie north on the RN40; San Juan city is south.