The highland desert of northwest Argentina lends itself to a road trip like no other. From the regional capital of Salta, a circular route through the Calchaquí Valleys leads through some of the world's most dramatic landscapes shaped by the sun, wind, and tectonics.

Along the way, there are quaint villages and a sprawling wine estate, a spectacularly remote art museum, and the chance to take a quick detour to a UFO landing site.

A two-day drive away from modern civilization is the remote hamlet of Colomé – the unexpected site of the oldest winery still in use in Argentina.

Founded by the last Spanish governor in 1831, it was brought back to life in 2001, when Swiss businessman Donald Hess bought it and spent four years transforming the estancia into a luxury hotel. This wasn't enough for him though: an avid art collector, Hess also decided to build a museum here, dedicated to his favorite artist: the American light artist James Turrell.

The cobbled streets of the adobe village of Cachi lie beneath the snow-capped peaks of the Andes. Roofs are made of cactus wood, and the atmosphere is decidedly quirky. Just outside the village, the star-shaped "Ovnipuerto" is the designated landing site for UFOs. Sightings have been reported so often in the area around the village, that many consider it an Argentinean Roswell.

Message our curators now and they'll put together an incredible road trip through the Calchaquí Valleys.

Images of the James Turrell museum by Florian Holzheer, courtesy of estancia Colomé