The countryside around Salta is extraordinary and easy to explore. The classic route heads south-west through the Escoipe Gorge, climbs the Cuesta del Obispo to 3,348m, skirts Los Cardones National Park with its giant cacti, and drops into the Calchaquí Valley to reach the small colonial town of Cachi — a full day but one of the best drives in Argentina. North of Salta, the Quebrada de Humahuaca offers dramatic gorge scenery and the UNESCO-listed village of Purmamarca, famous for its Hill of Seven Colours.