Rooms

The airy rooms are designed with sumptuous high thread-count bed linens, locally woven blankets of the softest llama or lambswool (chic not scratchy), and a choice of pillows - ours were both firm and soft, and all are anti-allergic. As well as modernist lamps, there are woven ponchos and baskets made by local craftspeople, plus old sepia photographs of the 1920s construction of the Tren a las Nubes (the famous Salta 'Train to the Clouds'). There’s underfloor heating for winter and fans for summer (you really don’t need air con).

Bathrooms are made for those who need these things to be perfect: powerful showers, soft high-quality towels, soaps made with locally grown herbs, and decent toiletries. More surprisingly, there’s local pumice from volcanoes in the Puna and loofahs grown in the garden! And each room has fresh roses from the garden, too.

The Standard and Superior Rooms are spread between the ground floor of the main house and various outbuildings in the gardens. All have ensuite shower rooms but the Superior options are bigger and have patios.

On the first floor of the main house, the Suite Deluxe with terrace awaits. The outside space has loungers and lovely views onto the gardens and mountains in the distance. The bathroom has an antique basin, a spacious bench and a huge mirror, and there’s a separate rainhead shower room.

The Family Suite is on the ground floor of the main house. It has a separate entrance from the hall, 2 bedrooms and a shared bathroom with a bath and overhead shower, as well as a private patio with 2 loungers and a small table. This is ideal for a family or friends. One room has a queensize bed, the other has a double or 2 single beds.

There's also a private Villa available for up to 5 guests. It's set 60 metres from the main house so is a great option for families after some added privacy.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Mosquito net
• WiFi

Eating

The set menu for main meals changes daily: expect Italian recipes mixed with traditional Salteño ingredients. Everything is handmade, from the fresh pasta to the mango ice cream. A separate menu is available for veggies or those with dietary requirements. Meals are eaten at separate tables (or all together if you prefer), and the food is superb.

Have a glass of wine before dinner, with a selection of cheeses and hams as picadas if you’re peckish. You might start with a risotto of quinoa with peppers, followed by fillet of beef from local farms, which will be succulent as butter, cooked the Italian way on a hot dish, and served with rocket salad with parmesan cheese. There’s also brasato, an Italian dish of beef slow-cooked with vegetables, or fish from Chile. Puddings include Amaretti ice cream, a pear tarte tatin, or a yummy pear and chocolate crumble.

Lunch is usually light and delicious - think salads, soups, fresh pasta, vegetable tarts and fresh fruit salads. There’s usually an asado (a traditional Argentinian barbecue) on Sunday lunchtimes in the outside quincho (covered eating area).

Breakfast has no fixed time so you can get up when you like. You get fresh juice (we had mandarin), croissants from the local bakery, homemade bread and jams, freshly baked cakes, eggs to order, plus goat's cheese from the local farm. Cereals, tea and an excellent traditional cappuccino are also on offer.

Features include:

• Barbecue
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Kids' meals
• Lunch by arrangement
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Lounge by the pool - there’s a chic infinity pool (open November to April; not heated) in the garden, with views of the mountains and loungers to take the sun
  
  
• Take a cooking class with Finca Valentina's chefs, who will teach you how to make traditional Salta dishes such as humitas, empanadas and locro from scratch. Then eat your creations for lunch afterwards
  
  
• Have a massage - expert Swedish massage is offered, as well as lymph-drainage, facials, waxing, manicures and pedicures
  
  
• Birding here is superb (look out for lapwings, horneros, parrots, eagles, owls and tanagers); there's a bird book in the house, and professional tours can be arranged
  
  
• Go walking - there are paths around the gardens and along tracks to the rivers. You can borrow bikes, too
  
  
• There's a nature reserve in San Lorenzo, 15 minutes' drive away; the resident botanist gives guided tours and it's great for birding
  
  
• Go horse riding - Finca Valentina can arrange for a gaucho to take you riding (book the night before) to the river and up on the cerros (mountains) to see wild horses, tobacco plantations, and the traditional tobacco drying houses
  
  
• Other activities nearby include fishing in an artificial lake 45 minutes away, rafting on the Juramento river, and tennis at courts close by
  
  
• Guests can be taken on really fabulous trips to the Puna and beyond, through the hotel owner's company Socompa Travel. These are run by expert guides and explore places where no other agency ventures: definitely worth booking up as part of your Argentina itinerary. Most highly recommended is the trip to the ancient ruined city of Quilmes, hiking at Tolombón, and then continuing up the Calchaquí valley
  
  
• More conventional trips can also be organised to Cachi and Cafayate for wine tasting, and a very cultural Salta city tour with stops for handicraft shopping, silversmith visits and museums - the MAAM (Museum of High Altitude Archaeology) is highly recommended, it poignantly houses three Inca child mummies
  
  
• Socompa can also take you in off-road vehicles to explore the extraordinary rugged desert landscapes around Tolar Grande and Antofagasta de la Sierra
  
  
• Uniquely, its guides take guests up into Bolivia to the Salar de Uyuni, and over into Chile to the Atacama. These landscapes really have to be seen to be believed

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Plantlife / flora
• Private guided tours
• Rafting
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Well being

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

Finca Valentina is very close to Salta airport (about 10 minutes’ drive) and 25 minutes’ drive southwest of Salta city. It’s in a sweet and chic little town called La Merced Chica (not La Merced), on Ruta 51.

By Air:
Fly into Salta's Martín Miguel de Güemes International Airport (also known as El Aybal Airport). There are frequent flights from Buenos Aires (a flying time of 2 hours) and other Argentine cities - click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
Fabrizio meets guests at Salta airport, and it's a 10-minute drive to Finca Valentina. Transfers are included in the rate if you stay at least 3 nights.

By Car:
There's no need to hire a car here (Fabrizio can arrange transfers to and from Salta city), but if you do want your own vehicle, see our car rental recommendations. Head out of Salta on Ruta 51; Finca Valentina is just off the road at Km11.

By Bus:
Bus no.6 goes to and from Salta every 20 minutes, and it takes 25 minutes to get into town.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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