I had never been in Central Catamarca, and there was very little information on the Internet about Belen and about the Inca Empire Shinkal ruins. This is surprising, since Londres, the nearest village, was the second Spanish settlement founded in what is today Argentina, before Buenos Aires and just after the foundation of Santiago del Estero. (Would you believe that Santiago del Estero is the oldest city in Argentina?) As Ripley would say: “believe it, or not…” So I decided to take a chance and visit the area. The result was rewarding.
I did not spend much time in this beautiful city (Belen), but enough to enjoy its main attractions. Belen has a population of some 12,000 inhabitants, some nice colonial buildings, a beautiful main square, and a lovely cathedral. It is a compact city, some two miles long and about one mile wide. The valley of the Belen river, where there is also a replica of the image of Our Lady of the Valley (Virgen del Valle) has also very nice panoramic views. There is also a statue of the virgin on the top of the mountain where you can only arrive climbing. I only peeped into the cathedral, but noticed that it is beautiful, even though it is only one century old. Next door there is a religious arts museum, that was closed on Saturday afternoon, but I did have the chance to visit the Condor Huasi museum. This museum has valuable historical relics.
Unfortunately, due to economic constraints, the rooms where the museum is (the second floor of an apartment building) are far too small to show all its cultural wealth, so part of these valuable historical pieces are kept in a warehouse; we all hope that this will not affect their conservation. The admission fee to this museum is only one peso (33 cents of a US dollar). It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, morning and afternoon, although on Sundays it only opens during the morning. It is located in front of the main square, in diagonal. The oldest pieces are ten to twelve thousand years old, such as Ayampitin projectiles, and this valuable collection continues all the way through the Inca Empire age and the Spanish colonization age. The different cultures represented include the Condor Huasi, Alamito, Cienaga, Aguada, Belen, Santa Maria, Fambalasto, and Inca cultures. There are some pieces in bronze, such as small jaguars, jewelry of gold, ceramic and stone, stone boards, mortars, and sculptures, amongst many other things. The pre-Columbian ceramics include pieces from graves in the zones of Belen and Condor Huasi. A new building is soon going to be constructed for this Museum, that will allow exhibiting most, if not all, its cultural heritage. Access is through the Misael Gallery, in San Martin 310, nearly facing the main square. I am no expert in museums, but really enjoyed my visit to this very interesting museum.
Other attractions in town are the small winery on the main street, and some vineyards in the area. Belen is within an irrigated area. All northwestern Argentina is renown for the quality of its wines (especially white wines).
I stayed at the hotel Samai, two blocks away from the bus station, a nice one-star hotel with a swimming pool, large rooms with cable TV and private bathroom. The cost is 14 dollars per night for one person and 20 for double occupancy. These rates include breakfast, and do not increase during the high season, nor drop during the low season. The other hotel in town is the Belen hotel (3 stars) but not all tourists agree that they offer a good service. I had lunch at the 1900 restaurant, where I ate a Napolitan chicken supreme (with ham and cheese, but with no side orders) plus a glass of wine for five dollars. More sophisticated plates cost seven to nine dollars, so you might spend anything between 15 and 20 dollars for a complete dinner. It is a place in high demand; I was unable to find a free table there on Saturday evening. Reservations are recommended.
Having mentioned Londres de la Nueva Ing