Home of the Chicoanas Indians before the Spaniards arrived, Cachi is a tiny pueblo of about 5,000 people, interesting for its Indian ruins, colonial church, and archaeological museum. The Spanish colonial church, built in the 17th century and located next to the main plaza, has a floor and ceiling made from cactus wood. The archaeological museum is the most impressive museum of its kind in the Northwest, capturing the influence of the Incas and Spaniards on the region's indigenous people. Next to the main plaza, its courtyard is filled with Inca stone engravings and pre-Columbian artifacts. Wall rugs, ponchos, and ceramics are sold at the Centro Artesanal, next to the tourist office, on the main plaza (the people of Cachi are well respected for their weaving skills, and the ponchos they sell are beautiful). La Paya, 10km (6 1/4 miles) south of Cachi, and Potrero de Payogasta, 10km (6 1/4 miles) north of Cachi, hold the area's most important archaeological sites.
