Molinos

Molinos lies where the Calchaquí river bends between bare red hills, a village of adobe houses gathered around a plaza and the eighteenth-century church of San Pedro Nolasco, whose twin bell towers and thick white walls are among the handsomest in the valley. It takes its name from the old grain mills that once worked the river. Today it is best known for wool: a local cooperative keeps a herd of vicuña, the wild cameid whose fleece is the finest natural fibre in the world, and works with it alongside llama and sheep wool, spinning and weaving in the village. High-altitude vineyards have also taken root nearby, and a colonial mansion on the plaza has become a small hotel. Little traffic passes, and the silence between the hills is complete.

What you actually see

• The church of San Pedro Nolasco - eighteenth-century adobe with twin bell towers.
• The weaving cooperative - vicuña, llama and sheep fibre spun and woven locally.
• The old plaza - the shaded square with the colonial mansion beside it.
• The red hills - the bare Calchaquí ranges closing in on the village.

When to go

April to November for dry roads on the RN40; the summer rains can leave river crossings impassable. Mornings are best for visiting the cooperative. The village is quiet year-round, with the patron festival in September its busiest moment.

Honest expectations

Molinos is small and sleepy, with limited food and lodging and almost nothing to do after dark. The RN40 here is unpaved and slow, so distances take longer than the map suggests. Vicuña goods are genuinely expensive, reflecting how little fibre each animal yields.

Nearby

Seclantás and Cachi lie north; Angastaco and the Quebrada de las Flechas are south.