Idyllically set on the banks of the La Rioja River, at the foot of the Velasco Mountains, La Rioja is the capital city of the La Rioja province in northwestern Argentina. This charming little city makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding countryside which features an impressive array of outdoor adventure activities, a popular wine region, and the Talampaya National Park. The town itself boasts an attractive tree-lined central plaza with a number of historical buildings including a 20th-century cathedral, and the neo-colonial government buildings of Casa de Gobierno and Poder Judicial. Other points of interest include the Church of Santo Domingo, a quaint stone temple dating back to 1623, and the Museo Arqueológico Inca Huasi, which houses one of Argentina’s most important collections of pre-Hispanic ceramics.