During the first years of the Spanish conquest, the town of Coronel Moldes was known as Puerta de Díaz for it belonged to Pedro Díaz, one of Salta's founders; and because a military emplacement was created in the area to defended it from the Calchaquí natives' attacks, which was located at the entrance of the town, and was firstly called Fuerte San Bernardo Fort.

In 1808 it became the capital of the La Viña Department for a short time period, and when the Coronel Moldes railway station was inaugurated in 1909, the town adopted this name. The really old parish church, which conserves an image of the local patron San Bernardo, stands out. The festivity in his honour is the 20th of August.

The Cabra Corral Dam can be reached from this place; an amazing tourist attraction good for the practice of nautical sports. The water repressed has a 12 thousand hectare surface and it widens a maximum of 15 kilometres approximately.

It is a farming and stockbreeding zone. Tobacco, cotton and pepper plantations emerge among the sierras of the Valle de Lerma Valley. It produces typical regional cheeses. Freshwater atherines and dorados can be sport fished along the Pasaje or Juramento's riverbanks. The Fuerte Mountain holds caves that need the guidance of an expert to be visited.

HOW TO GET THERE
It is 62 kilometres away from Salta, at 1104 metres above sea level.

EXCURSIONS AND RIDES
The Dique Potrero de Díaz Dike (4 Km)
A small reservoir in the midst of picturesque landscapes. There you will find the Club de Pesca y Náutica Coronel Moldes (Fish and Nautical Club) installations, a lodging house, a shelter and motorboats in the area. Atherines can be sport fished.

The Cabra Corral's Hydroelectric Complex "Presa General Belgrano Dam" (27 Km)
Monumental dam built in the middle of a beautiful scenery. It has a storage capacity of 3800 cubic hectares and a 13100-hectare surface; The General Belgrano Dam proper has a length of about 515 meters. It is a transcendent work for the solution of the energetic problems in a vast zone of the Argentinean northwest that irrigates more than 110000 hectares of the Salta and Santiago del Estero Provinces. It has sport fishing and lodging facilities.

Chicoana (23 Km)
An old town sitting at the foot of the La Candelaria Mountain. The current chapel (LHN) constitutes an historical continuation of the original temple built in the 17th century, which had an outstanding social and popular projection during that time, as well as the adjacent plaza (LHN). Every year in July, the Festival Nacional de la Doma y el Tamal (Rodeo and Tamal* National Festival) takes place. Seven kilometres away is the Pulares Lake, where trout can be captured; the place has a dining room, grills, children playgrounds and camping areas.

* A typical dish based upon corn.