Folklore is reflected in Raco’s street names: every street in the town is named after a song by folkloric musician Atahualpa Yupanqui. The landscape features vegetation, gentle hills, clear rivers and numerous forests. The street names and natural surroundings thus bring two distinct features to Tafí Viejo Department.

Water, Landscape and Leisure

El Cadillal is a tourism-focused village that developed around the Celestino Gelsi Dam. The landscape is surrounded by jungle and several waterways. Swimming is possible at the beaches of the Celestino Gelsi Dam. A leisure guide from February 2021 lists kayaking, boat trips and zip-lining in El Cadillal. A chairlift complex described in February 2021 took tourists to the summit of Cerro Médici, where they could see the Sierras de Medina and the vast expanse of water.

At the end of Uttinger Street is the La Toma bathing area. It has picnic shelters, children’s play equipment and restrooms.

Cycling Through Changing Landscapes

The “Sendero El Cadillal - Tafí Viejo (Ruta y Finca)” cycling route is suitable for individual mountain biking trips as well as group rides. The route connects contrasting landscapes featuring hills, citrus groves and the waters of El Cadillal. Its stated length is 48.9 kilometres; this can be adjusted according to the cyclists’ abilities.

Cultural and Historical Traces

At the Museo Tahuui in Tafí Viejo, images and objects tell the story of the origins of the Candelaria culture and the first inhabitants. The Museo Ferroviario has a different focus: knowledgeable guides explain the city’s railway history. The Monumento a San Martín in Tafí Viejo depicts General San Martín’s passage through the town in 1814.

At the Museo Arqueológico El Cadillal, an interactive and playful exploration of archaeological finds from various Indigenous peoples who lived in the region offers another way to engage with its history. The Monumento del Inca tells the story of Huayna Cápac, who consolidated the Inca Empire and was the last of the Inca mentioned to travel through the northwest. A description of the guided tour “Entre Yungas y Rieles” dated July 1, 2022, highlights the natural, historical and cultural values of Tafí Viejo Department.

These places convey history in different ways: images and objects, expert explanations and monuments with specific historical connections each provide their own perspective.

Places of Remembrance in Las Talitas

In Las Talitas, in Tafí Viejo Department, the grounds of the “Miguel de Azcuénaga” Arsenal Company, which belonged to the Argentine Army, housed a clandestine detention, torture and extermination centre between 1976 and 1978. This history is part of Tucumán’s tourism initiative for historical tours.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dique El Cadillal, Las Tipas, Racó, Chicligasta Department, Tafí Del Valle Department, Simoca Department, Graneros, Lules Department.

For the main travel overview: Tucumán.