Chicoana brings together a distinctive church building, tamal tradition, and a festival centered on nighttime doma. When planning your trip, you can distinguish the town’s cultural landmarks from activities in the broader travel destination of Departamento Tafí Del Valle. This makes clear what shapes Chicoana’s townscape and which experiences are located in the wider region.

The Church and Plaza Güemes

The present-day Church of San Pablo in Chicoana has a single, wide nave, large windows, pitched roofs with shingles and colonial tiles, and a bell tower on one side. Opposite it lies the historic Plaza Güemes. To understand the building’s architecture, you can distinguish between its spatial layout and its design: the single wide nave and large windows shape the church interior, while the roof covering and side bell tower define its exterior. The church and plaza thus offer two concrete reference points for a culture-focused view of Chicoana.

Tamal and Festival Culture

Chicoana is recognized as the “Capital Nacional del Tamal”; in 2016, a law declared the city the national capital of tamal. A tamal consists of corn dough with meat, potato, egg, and spices, wrapped in corn husks. The title and the specific preparation give Chicoana’s culinary heritage a distinctive point of reference.

On July 18, 2026, the provincial government recognized the Encuentro Nacional de Doma y Festival del Tamal as the most representative festival of the town of Chicoana and highlighted its contribution to preserving traditional cuisine. Nighttime doma is the central feature of each evening. The festival thus combines its gastronomic significance with a clearly defined equestrian focus.

Daytime Horseback Riding

The full-day Cabalgata Día Completo en Chicoana combines horseback riding with a traditional asado made from local products. Its full-day duration is a practical guide for planning your time; the asado is also part of the offering alongside the riding.

Outdoor Activities and Scenery in the Broader Travel Destination of Departamento Tafí Del Valle

From Chicoana, guided horseback rides are offered through the Quebrada del Escoipe and over the Cuesta del Obispo with authorized providers. Cycling tours also pass through these landscapes. For both types of tour, confirm that authorized providers are available before your trip. This lets you distinguish the options by mode of travel: horseback riding or cycling, each in the areas named.

The Quebrada de Escoipe stretches from Chicoana to the Cuesta del Obispo; Provincial Route No. 33 connects the area to the Valle Calchaquí via the quebrada. The landscape is characterized by the diversity of the Yungas biome and cardones on the mountain. In the Valle Encantado, wind and water erosion have shaped the landforms over time. Together, these details offer different ways to choose a landscape focus: a route through the quebrada, the diversity of the Yungas biome, or the erosion-shaped formations in the Valle Encantado.

A report dated March 1, 2024, named 380 families who grew pallar beans, Capia corn, Criolla potatoes, and cayote in the Quebrada de Escoipe. These production figures may change over time; they add an agricultural perspective to the broader travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Antilla, General Güemes, Cafayate, El Encón, El Chañar, San Ramón De La Nueva Orán, Cachí, San Juan De Dios

For the broader travel overview: Salta.