SURROUNDINGS

THE GUEMESIAN CIRCUIT

The tourist circuit known as "La Tierra en Armas" or "The Country up in Arms" opens up the roads to the heroic life of the Gaucho Freedom fighter Güemes and his exploits throughout the Salta mountains.

The snake-like path that runs east of the city shows the faces of the mountains under heights full of cacti, and glancing down, in the far distance, the Lerma Valley. All the signs spread around the tour talk about the gaucho's guerrilla fighting against Spanish generals between 1814 and 1821, and about Güemes death, on June 17, 1821

One of the assets of the trip are the natural viewing points from the saddle; another, more captivating still, is to meet the gauchos who dwell nearby. When the visitor leaves the City of Salta, a very showy cornice path will get him to La Pedrera, La Quesera, The Finca La Cruz Ranch, El Chamical, and the Cañada de la Horqueta Chasm.

The historic tour on unpaved roads takes about four hours, ascending some 1700 ms, starting from the 1187 m.a.s.l. where the City of Salta is located to the 2800 m.a.s.l. of the Finca La Cruz Ranch, General Martín de Güemes' stronghold.

There, a guerrilla-like war against the Spanish Government took place, achieving, based on sheer courage and love of freedom, to repel seven invasions and finally, causing the withdrawal of the Spanish armies from this territory.

LA PEDRERA
At 11,4 kms from Salta, on March 24, 1820, General Martin Miguel de Güemes, commanding the advance forces of Rio Pasaje River, defeated and took prisoners from the royal guards posted there.

LA QUESERA
At 21 kms from Salta City, on June seven, 1821, his gauchos helped the hero escape from Salta, when he was deadly wounded, towards the Finca La Cruz.

THE FINCA LA CRUZ RANCH
It stands at 2800 m.a.s.l. During the days of the Independence wars it was owned by José Francisco de Tineo, stepfather to the gaucho hero. On 1820 it became General Güemes stronghold and the preparation ground for his militia.

In 1941 it was confirmed a National Historical Monument. Today it hosts a Country Life Museum. Ernesto Gorena, who has lived for 21 years in the Finca La Cruz Ranch, is the keeper of the museum and also serves as a guide for tourists and locals that visit the place.

In Gorena's own words, God, Motherland and Tradition are the three ideals which explain the meaning of "being a gaucho", he himself a true gaucho. "We act nobly with human beings as well as with animals" says Gorena, "because a gaucho isn't worth anything without his horse".

If the traveller is willing to retrace part of the heroic deeds done by those patriots, all he has to do is ride the 26 kms that divide the old manor from the City of Salta.

THE XVIII CENTURY CAPILLA DEL CHAMICAL CHAPEL
At 20 kms south from the Finca La Cruz Ranch, in the Town of Chamical, some skirmishes took place in June 1820. General Güemes was buried in this town's church but, some years later his remains where removed and taken to the Panteón de las Glorias del Norte Memorial, situated in the Salta Cathedral.

The church of the town of Chamical has a simple colonial style, dating back to the 18th century. Its façade shows the typical whitewashed walls crowned with a bell gable. This chapel probably was part of the La Cruz Ranch.

THE CAÑADA DE LA HORQUETA GLEN
At 34.7 kms from Salta, General Güemes died. The "Club Amigos de la Montaña" or "Friends of the Mountain Club", erected on that place a monolith in his honour. There he is remembered every year by the so-called "Guardia de las Estrellas" or "Star Watch", between the night of the 16th and the early morning hours of the 17th of June.