The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

Cerrillos, Argentina: A Small Town, A King Size Bed, and Real Coffee

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I have to be honest.

The shared dorm in a hostel thing is getting a little old.

After my Roomorama apartment in Santiago, I realized I need to treat myself to some privacy and nicer accommodations every once in a while so as not to get myself to the point that I scream at 20-something backpackers who are incapable of properly washing a dish (you know who you are).

Someone commented on my blog a while back that the best part of northern Argentina is exploring the small towns.

When I found the Poncho Huasi Posada in the small town of Cerrillos, just 12km outside of the city of Salta, I knew it was time to treat myself.

Poncho Huasi Posada

When I walked in my room, I instantly smiled and knew I made the right decision.  I would describe the room with 3 words:

Cozy

Simple elegance

It was a great place to catch up on some work and chill out for a few days.

Look at my giant bed!

With lots of fluffy pillows!  You know how much I love my pillows.

For me and my current travel budget, this is a splurge.  For most people, especially a couple, this room is a deal.

I alternated working on my photos from the Atacama Desert and working on my tan at the pool.

After several weeks in Chile where they think Nescafe is coffee, I relished the French press coffee served with my breakfast.  And the lovely outdoor patio to enjoy it when it wasn’t raining.

Cerrillos

I did manage to leave the comfort of this cozy bed and breakfast to explore Cerrillos.

Cerrillos is in a region known for tobacco farming. 

It has a population of only 18,000 people according to Wikipedia, but they must all live in the rural areas surrounding the center of town.  I think there may only be one stoplight in town.

El Tren a las Nubes (train to the clouds) cuts through Cerrillos although it has not been running for a while.

My favorite excursion took me to the local cemetery.

You know how I like my cemetery photo sessions.  What struck me about this cemetery is how colorful it is.

Travel Tips

If you are planning a trip to Salta and are looking for a great place to chill out and see small-town life, I think Cerrillos is a great option.  However, be aware that this is not one of the small towns that has a tourist infrastructure like Purmamarca.  There really is not much to do besides walk around, nor are there many restaurant options.  The B&B is wonderful, and for me, it was nice to be away from all of the tourists.  It is a short bus ride to the city of Salta, so you can easily hit the sights in Salta in a day trip.

In addition to this great bed and breakfast, Englishman Nick and his Argentine wife Alicia also run a tour company offering private, customized tours of northern Argentina.

I did not write about the large group tour I took to visit the Salinas Grandes salt flats and the town of Purmamarca because I did not enjoy the tour very much and would not recommend it to anyone who has a similar travel style.  After learning more about Nick’s tour company, I realize that a multi-day custom itinerary with Poncho Tours would have been much more enjoyable.  Check them out if you are visiting this area.

Comments

  1. Salta was one of our favourite places in Argentina. Such a beautiful room – I agree that sometimes you just have to treat yourself while on the road for such a long time. If I was staying in dorms all the time I would definitely need a couple of days here and there for time with my own thoughts.
    Andrea recently posted..Easter in Norway: Chickens, Crime and Hyttes

  2. That is a very colorful cemetary – they’re usually much more subdued than that. Is this a cultural thing? I mean, have you noticed more colors on cemetaries in general in South America?

    Looks like a great place to stay by the way. Love the pool :)

  3. Love the room!! It’s huge & cozy & what character! It seems Latin & South America’s cemeteries are more colorful than the US. The only thing I see in the US is lots of red, white & blue & flowers. We should have gone to the cemetery in Panama – on the island & in Panama City. I like your splurges. It’s a splurge with a budget : ) Since you splurged on the place to stay you try to visit the town spending less which I think you end up always discovering something off the beaten path & usually some very interesting stuff you wouldn’t have found otherwise.
    Love Mom

  5. I know exactly how you feel. You really do have to treat yourself occasionally or you end up going mad. It looks like you chose an amazing place to do it. It all looks so beautiful!
    Turtle recently posted..Easter in Assisi

  7. What a lovely room! The furniture seems to be in the typical colonial style of Northern Argentina. It’s gorgeous. And that pool!
    One of the things I probably love most about travel is exploring small towns and the small ‘”treasures” they offer, like a giant spur in the town of Spur, Texas :)

    Cerrillos is a great find :)
    Ana O’Reilly recently posted..Spring in Dallas: wildflowers

  8. I usually share a room while travelling as I prefer to save up money. When it happened to stay in a hotel and have a room on my own I really appreciate and understand what does it mean having your privacy and relaxing. AH! the shot of the dong liying on the tomb is really weird!
    Francy R recently posted..Feel the Life of Beijing

  12. If it was on your early morning run I probably was sweating to death at the guesthouse! But now I’m 30 lbs lighter I could do better walking : ) I’ll never be allowed to run again (unless it’s for my life ha ha). I’ll never forget my birthday – the boat ride to the other island & then the trek over the hill to the beautiful beach. I wish you had gotten a picture of my mud covered feet! I will tell you Stephanie would much rather travel by herself than with me. I give her too much adventure of a different sort LOL But I think your friends should know it was me who put that travel bug in you rather you want to admit it or not. Even in MI I took you to all kinds or weird festivals — even farm machinery. I was an explorer & a traveler & loved & still love to see the world around me & meet new people & learn new things from them. Even in the US there are so many different parts with the landscape & the people. We are a very diverse country. I hope some of your friends will come to the US & visit you & hopefully I will meet some of them too. Love Mom

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