Quebrada de Las Flechas

Approximately 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the city of Salta (via Cafayate), these are inclined pointed rock formations that form narrow gorges with 20 metres (66 ft) high walls, making them one of the most attractive tourist spots on National Route 40.

It was restored in 1969 by the current owners of the place (Finca El Carmen); made of adobe and a cane roof, with two colourful altars, the church seems to hang from a ravine, looking out over the valley in all its extension.

They are bright in the morning and ochre in the afternoon, so it is always recommended to travel through them before sunset, although there are also those who dare to cross them on horseback under the light of the full moon, not by road but by the Calchaquí River ravine.

The sedimentary plates (reddish-brown sandstones that sedimented before the Andes existed) that were once found at ground level were broken by the rise of the mountains and their ends were tilted pointing towards the sky, creating narrow gorges with walls approximately 20 metres (66 ft) high.

These strata were folded and fractured by the pressure of the Andean orogeny; over time, these materials became rocks that were classified under the name of Angastaco Formation, as this is where they reach their best expression.