The town of 300 inhabitants that was born with the gold rush and had a boom in vacation visits

It already had a tourist movement, of course, but the nomination at the end of last June and then the award – being selected among the Best Tourist Towns in the World – catapulted it to fame.

Carolinain the province of San Luiswas elected in the 2023 edition of the Best Tourism Villagesa distinction that UN Tourism – formerly the World Tourism Organization – renews every year.

The objective is to make visible those small destinations considered a good example of rural tourismwhich demonstrate a commitment to cultural and natural resources, sustainability, the preservation of traditions and the promotion of tourist activity.

La Carolina is in the province of San Luis, 80 km from the provincial capital by provincial route 9, and 180 km from Villa de Merlo, by provincial route 40, by provincial route 6, or by national route 20.

For those who do not have a car, from San Luis capital there is a bus that costs 1,800 pesos and the trip takes 1.45 hours. In addition, from both San Luis and Merlo you can hire day trips.

The town has 300 inhabitants1,300 meters long by two streets wide and stands out not only for its natural environment, the small cobbled streets and its colonial profile, but also for its history linked to the Golden fever in Argentina and its nickname of a mining town.

“Today there is very little gold left because in the middle of the last century, miners and panners exhausted their veins,” they say on the official local tourism website.

The momentum of 2023 recognition is felt. According to Roxana Lucero Zavala, the Secretary of Tourism, on average they are receiving about 130 cars per day on vacation.

But this long Carnival weekend There were days of up to 300 cars per day.

The counting of visitors from vehicles has its explanation: due to the holidays and the increasing flow of visitors, the town becomes pedestrian from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., during the summer. With this measure they seek to prevent the streets from being overwhelmed with cars, which would be frustrating for visitors, annoying for locals, and harmful to the preservation of the town.

“It has a lot of historical and cultural heritage; Carolina preserves essence of a mining town. We seek to preserve it, take care of it,” explains Roxana and assures that tour the town on foot changes -improves- the experience.

Visitors can stop at its architecture, the Poetry Museum (where the house of the writer Juan C. Lafinur was), the regional shops and take the unmissable excursions (and suitable for the whole family): know the old mines -equipped with everything necessary to enjoy the experience- and learn to look for gold on the river with a local guide.

• The visit to the mine costs $6,000 per person. Children under 12 years old pay $4,000. It is done on foot, lasts an hour and a half and includes a guide and mining equipment (boots and helmets with a flashlight).

• The search for gold in the Yellow River lasts one hour and includes a guide, boots, mining fountain and hat. It costs $3,000 per person.

“The town is at the foot of the Tomolasta hill, our custodian,” says Roxana. “On the way up, you have to allow an hour, or an hour and a half to get a spectacular panoramic view.”

On the other hand, 20 km away, you reach the Inti Huasi grotto, a 20-meter-high natural cavern, inhabited by man in the past and which is worth visiting, recommends the Secretary of Tourism.

There is also Antu Ruca – La Casa del Sol, a llama reserve: they take tours, show the herding and how their fur is worked, among other things.

Some tips To keep in mind when planning a visit:

• Load up on fuel because there are no gas stations in La Carolina.

• Most services are paid for in cash.

• There are no banks or ATMs.

• Wi-Fi does not always work, something that also complicates electronic payments.

The accommodation options in La Carolina are cabins, hostels, inns and rooms with private bathrooms.

In addition, the town has its own app that can be downloaded and allows you to obtain information to enjoy the place and its attractions.

It is important to note that the nominations are made by the member states of UN Tourism, not by a particular town or person. To consider:

• Population: low demographic density (up to 15,000 inhabitants), being in a characteristic natural and/or cultural landscape

• Territory: be located in a landscape with a significant presence of traditional activities such as agriculture, forestry (forest crops), livestock or fishing.

• Sociedad: share the values ​​and lifestyle of the community.

Other Argentine towns that participated as nominees in the 2023 edition were Gaiman (Chubut), Laguna Blanca (Catamarca), Los Antiguos (Santa Cruz), Tolhuin (Tierra del Fuego), Villa Traful (Neuquén) and Yavi (Jujuy).