Which is the perfect South American country for you?

The mountains on either side of me were spectacular. Earthy greenish and clay-coloured hues occasionally broken up to expose raw red rock or shimmering white. Giant candelabra cactuses reared up along the roadside. Tiny baroque chapels and old-world wineries dotted the foothills. I was near the tropics in midsummer, but the Nevado de Cachi massif, the highest in the region, was splashed with snow. I saw guanacos grazing on the knolls overlooking the road and, high above, lots of condors.

In the town of Cachi, I enjoyed empanadas – the best ones in Argentina are found in the north west – before driving slowly – it is all too spectacular to rush – the final furlongs to Salta. The land finally opened up into a wide valley. It was here mules grazed before the final push on to the high, bare Andean Altiplano, where water and grass are scarcer. I parked on the plaza and got myself a cold beer.

A thousand miles in three days. Easy, really. It would take muleteers more than a year, allowing for overwintering. The road north, to the Bolivian border, is also a famous drive, and one I’ll save for next time.

How to do it

Journey Latin America (020 3553 9647) offers holidays to all of Latin America including Argentina. A 13-day self-drive holiday in Argentina starting in Buenos Aires and ending in Salta starts from £3,650 per person.

The price includes accommodation on a B&B basis, including a night in Estancia La Bamba, hire car, a domestic flight from Salta back to Buenos Aires, transfers and guided excursions. International flights are extra. Budget around £1,000 for flights from the UK to Argentina with British Airways via Heathrow.