Santa María Department: Archaeology, Markets and Local Culture

In Santa María Department, archaeological sites, lively markets and craft traditions come together. Cerro Pintado de Las Mojarras and Rincón Chico tell the region’s past in different ways; markets, festivals and offerings featuring local products provide insights into present-day customs and crafts.

Archaeological Sites and Landscape

The high-altitude village of Cerro Pintado de Las Mojarras sits on a 100-meter-high hill beside National Route 40. The Inca road is thought to have once passed there. Rincón Chico offers a different perspective on history: the pre-Columbian village comprises at least 365 structures across an area of approximately 39.6 hectares. It lies on a spur of the Sierra del Cajón, whose geological character is shaped by white quartz veins, pegmatite outcrops in a drainage channel, and dark phyllite and schist formations. This makes the area notable both for its striking location beside a major highway and for an extensive archaeological settlement set in a distinctive rocky landscape.

Markets and Festival Traditions

Various markets run by entrepreneurs take place on Plaza Gral. Manuel Belgrano on Fridays. On Saturdays, the Feria Arcoiris offers another opportunity to discover products made by local artisans and producers. Check market days locally before your trip. The festival calendar also features a range of events: the Festival del Cabrito takes place every year during Holy Week in El Cerrito; the Fiesta de la Capia is celebrated in Santa María in winter. Every year on February 2, the city of Santa María honors Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria as its patron saint; the city’s founding is celebrated on the same day.

The history of the Fiesta Nacional Santa María la Reina del Yokavil includes two important dates: it was conceived in 1967 and began in the summer of 1968. These historical milestones complement the recurring annual festivals but are not the same events.

Capia, Local Products and Regional Flavors

The Ruta de la Capia introduces an alfajor from Santa María, made with Capia corn and homemade dulce de leche. Dulces y Licores offers visits and tastings of sweets and liqueurs made in Santa María from fruit grown in the valley. As dates offered by individual producers may change, it is advisable to check availability for visits and tastings in advance.

Nuestras Especias explores where spices from the Calchaquí Valley are ground. Examples include cumin, oregano, rosemary and sweet paprika. Another offering takes visitors to wineries where high-quality wines are produced at high altitudes. This offers a glimpse of local food and drink culture, from the processing of individual ingredients to visits with wine producers; check access arrangements with each winery in advance.

Culture, Crafts and Excursions

The Museo Arte Sacro Ntra Sra Candelaria displays Christian sacred art and tangible and intangible cultural heritage alongside the heritage of pre-Columbian cultures. Traditional craft-making processes are also the focus of several experiences: Cestería en Simbol shows how baskets are made from Simbol. Textiles del Valle demonstrates how fibers are processed into yarn and how woven garments are made from different types of wool.

Trekking is one way to reach places of interest in Santa María. The Quilla Punco astronomical school complex offers a different area of interest. It includes a section with information about all the constellations, an observatory with a high-resolution telescope, a planetarium and an interpretation center. There, students from School No. 220 and nearby communities observe constellations and planets.

Discover more destinations: Santa María, El Volcán, Loro Huasi.

Discover more destinations: Belén Department, Antofagasta de la Sierra Department, Andalgalá Department, Valle Viejo Department, El Alto Department.

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