Hotels in Cafayate

Cafayate has seen a surge in luxury accommodations, mostly of the wine lodge variety. Many are within easy walking distance of the village.

Colomé -- Cactus & Vineyards -- Bodega Colomé (Ruta Provincial 53, Molinos, Salta; tel. 3868/494044; www.bodegacolome.com) is the newest edition to Salta's ever-increasing list of winery lodges. Located 4 hours over bumpy, unpaved roads from either Cafayate or Salta, it fits in nicely with owner Donald Hess's penchant for building art-gallery wineries in far-flung, isolated places. The scenery is spectacular, with giant cacti giving three-fingered salutes amid vineyards and multicolored mountains. As you approach the winery, you pass the ancient village Molinos that has been virtually adopted by the winery, as Hess insists on employing the local population, and has built a new church and community center. Neat, stoned-lined roads lead to a low cream-colored, colonial-style building with a long gallery of arches. This is the upscale lodge and restaurant that caters to guests who want to get away from it all. In fact, the winery should only be visited if you wish to stay in the area, as it is a long, bumpy, dusty round-trip. There is a helicopter pad for high rollers and talk of a private landing strip for airplanes. The lodge rooms are large and luxurious, with indigenous touches such as the hand-woven rugs that the area is famous for. The restaurant produces some of the best cuisine in Argentina, which is no small achievement considering its remote location. In the past, the lodge has flown in some of the world's best chefs to oversee the kitchen, but they soon tire of the isolation and depart. A former sous-chef from the village now runs the operation, and there are no complaints.