Choya

You can explore Choya for trip-planning purposes through two specific local features: the Río Choya and the production of quince paste. In the Choya district, the river separates the eastern and western sides and also serves as a source of water for the district. The production of sweets offers a different perspective on the area. When choosing a hotel destination, you can therefore consider Choya in terms of either its landscape or its local food culture.

Quince paste as a local feature

In the rural area of Andalgalá, Choya is considered a representative place for confectionery production. A 2011 study mentions a pre-cooperative group of women from Choya that made quince paste and was called “Mishqui Yanapay.” In 1994, a group of women associated with quince paste production was established in Choya. The place name, product, and year give confectionery production a clear local connection. For travelers interested in regional food culture, quince paste is a tangible connection to Choya; the named women’s group adds a social dimension to this perspective.

Pasarela and event

The Pasarela de Choya was upgraded in September 2019 with a paved surface and lighting for nighttime use. If you include the Pasarela in your plans, check the current situation before visiting. This will help you fit this local feature into your itinerary at an appropriate time.

The ninth edition of the Peña “La Choyanada” was announced for January 2025 at the Centro Vecinal San Roque in the Choya district, Department of Andalgalá. If events are important to your travel plans, check current dates before planning; the date mentioned reflects an earlier planning status.

Other travel highlights in the Department of Andalgalá

In the wider destination of the Department of Andalgalá, the Cuesta de Capillitas is a mountain road more than 60 kilometers long. It can be driven in any vehicle; however, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended for greater safety and comfort. Check road conditions before setting out. The climb leads to the Minas Capillitas at an altitude of more than 3,100 meters. The road’s length, high-altitude destination, and vehicle recommendation give it a distinctive character for trip planning in the Department.

In the Department of Andalgalá, visitors can currently enter various areas of former mining activity at Minas Capillitas. At Muschaka, old smelting furnaces, chimneys, slag heaps, sections of a 33-kilometer cableway, and an old chapel have been preserved. These technical traces of mining stand alongside other structural remains. This offers a different regional focus from Choya’s river and confectionery connections.

Pucará del Aconquija is also located in the Department of Andalgalá. It is a Provincial Archaeological Park and part of the Qhapaq Ñan, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thus, alongside mountain scenery and mining heritage, the wider destination also offers an archaeological focus.

When choosing your destination, it helps to keep Choya and the Department of Andalgalá in mind as distinct geographic reference points: here, Choya is associated with the Río Choya and quince paste; the mountain road, Minas Capillitas, Muschaka, and Pucará del Aconquija are highlights of the wider destination. Discover more destinations: Alumbrera

View the wider travel overview: Department of Andalgalá.