Stone walls
Up the hillside.
JuliSarki — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ruarte — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dr.Haus — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dario Alpern — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Ruins of Quilmes are the largest pre-Columbian settlement in Argentina, spreading over some 30 hectares of hillside in the Calchaquí Valleys and dating back to around 850 AD. They were home to the Quilmes people, perhaps 5,000 at their height, who long resisted the Spanish until they were defeated in 1667 and the survivors were marched to near Buenos Aires, where the city of Quilmes bears their name today. Low stone walls of houses, stores and farming terraces climb the slope, some of them rebuilt, and paths lead up to old lookout points on either side, with views over the whole town and the wide valley below. An interpretation centre at the entrance explains the site's history. The site lies at the western edge of Tucumán province, about an hour's drive south of Cafayate and much further from the city of Tucumán. The sun is strong and shade scarce, so bring a hat and water.
Up the hillside.
Views over the valley.
The Quilmes story.
Calchaquí Valleys, National Route 40, western Tucumán province
Cafayate, about an hour's drive north of the site; from the city of Tucumán the road is long, via Tafí del Valle.