Photography in Salta
Every year I go on photography expeditions around the world, and every year I attend a dozen travel conferences and events around the world. But I rarely try to combine the two – most conferences simply don’t have any photographic opportunities. Luckily there are exceptions. Last month I was in Salta, Argentina attending the Adventure Travel World Summit and there was a free day to adventure (literally, a Day of Adventure) prior to the conference. I took advantage and signed up for a photo excursion to the Cafayate region with Travel Vision Journeys led by Ossian Lindholm, an excellent local photographer. And because it’s Argentina with amazing wineries everywhere, it included a lunch and wine tasting at Finca Quara. It was a very cool day.
We met at 7am in downtown Salta, just a short walk downhill from the Sheraton where I was staying. Salta’s a great town, and a perfect base for a week to explore the desert.
From Salta we drove south and stopped at a gorgeous overlook where we photographed and got camera tips from Ossian.
We then continued to El Anfiteatro (The Amphitheater), a towering rock formation that you can walk into, and photographed. There was a guitarist playing inside, which let us experience the natural acoustics, and we happened to be there right when the sun peeked over the rim. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the region.
The road through the desert is lined with beautiful scenery and places to pull over. We didn’t have the time to stop everywhere, but this was a great overlook – straight out of Looney Toons. It was only missing a coyote chasing a roadrunner.
We then continued to the wine-oriented town of Cayfayate and spent time around the central square before continuing to Finca Quara winery. The winery set aside a private lunch area for us and brought plate after plate of excellent food – including empanadas, because it’s Argentina – and several wines, including Torrontés, the local specialty. Although I loved all of the photography and the scenery, the lunch was the highlight of the day – great food with great company in a gorgeous setting.
From Finca Quara we proceeded to La Yesera, in Quebrada de las Conchas – the other absolute highlight of the day. We hiked through La Yesera’s canyons for well over an hour, climbing to a couple of overlooks and soaking in the rainbow-colored beauty of the desert. If you only do one excursion from Salta, make sure you get to La Yesera!
From La Yesera we drove back to Salta, arriving back roughly 12 hours after we left. It flew by. Ossian was a great leader/instructor, and the day couldn’t have been better. And this was only a small glimpse of Travel Vision Journeys’ 9-day Vision and Vine Photo Tour. Highly recommended!
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