Quebrada de Cafayate

The Quebrada de Cafayate, also called the Quebrada de las Conchas, is a 50-kilometre river gorge in Salta province between the town of Cafayate and the city of Salta, carved through Cretaceous sedimentary rock into formations with names reflecting their shapes: the Garganta del Diablo, the Amphitheatre, and the Fraile column. The exposed geological stratigraphy presents bands of red, ochre, and violet sandstone that intensify in saturation under afternoon light. The adjacent Cafayate wine valley, the highest-altitude winery district in Argentina, produces Torrontés white wine with distinctive aromatic character.