San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca 7.28

San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato. The city name is normally shortened as Catamarca.The city of 684km2, located 500m above the sea level, has 141,000 inhabitants, with more than 200,000 counting the suburbia, what represents around 70% of the population of the province.OverviewThe city is located 1130km from Buenos Aires. The closest provincial capitals are La Rioja (154km), Tucumán (230km) and Santiago del Estero (209km).Many pilgrims come to San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca to visit the Church of the Virgin of the Valley (1694), which contains a statue of Nuestra Señora del Valle (Our Lady of the Valley).Catamarca is also the touristic centre of the province, with its colonial architecture, and serves as a hub to many touristic points and excursions, hiking, mountain-bike tours, horse riding, and wine tasting.San Fernando del Valle is served by Coronel Felipe Varela International Airport) (CTC/SANC), with flights to IRJ, TUC and AEP.History and politicsAn initial settlement, called Londres, was established here by Spanish colonists in 1558; a permanent settlement was not founded until 1683, by Fernando de Mendoza y Mate de Luna. Catamarca comes from Quechua meaning "fortress on the slope".